Dib-sister 2
by Idakiller24
Summary: While Zim and Gaz have been getting along in their new life, Dib has been left alone. When he hears of a new, more serious plot by the couple, he may have to do something drastic. SEQUEL TO DIB-SISTER LOVE-PIG. Rated T for language. All rights to Invader Zim belong to Jhonen Vasquez.
1. Prologue

A small child sat on the floor playing with his own feet. He is a quiet child with dark hair and skin, and blue eyes. He was wearing a red hoodie. Suddenly he looks up and grins wildly.

"HEY! Gonna read this fanfiction, huh?!" He stands up and points a thumb behind him, seeming to be talking to you. "This one about ZIM and GAZ!? DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT! I don't judge!" He laughs, probably judging you anyway. He flings his arms in the air happily.

"ANYWAY! Just call me Re-cap kid!" He points to himself and grins again, it's unsettling. "I'm here because this is a SEQUEL to a DIFFERENT fanfiction, that you probably read. And if you didn't? THAT'S WHY I'M HERE!"

Somehow, the child had managed to flip onto his head without you noticing, he continues shouting as if this were normal behavior.

"BASICALLY! I gotta tell you about anything that has happened BEFORE this story! SO you don't get all LOST and stuff! Like 'huh? What's going on? I don't undERSTAND!' LIke THAT!" The child is now wearing a strange, green, dog hat that's says 'POOP'. He continues screaming.

"Anyway! So here's the thing: You know ZIM? And you know GAZ?" Well they're DATING now! And it's really WEIRD! Basically ZIM got a crush on GAZ so he gave her stuff like a ROCK! Eventually she liked him back and they started DATING! AND IT'S WEIRD!"

"But that's not the best part! Ya know DIB? ZIM'S MORTAL ENEMY AND GAZ'S BIG BROTHER? Weeeellll… He didn't like it very much. So here's the best part! DIB CALLED TAK! Ya know Tak? That one Irken that tried to steal Zim's mission? Well she came down cause Dib wanted her to KILL ZIM! He wasn't too happy about them being together! But get THIS! TAK DOUBLE CROSSED _EVERYBODY!_ She was still gonna kill Zim but also GAZ cause she wanted revenge on ZIM!"

"THERE WAS THIS HUGE BATTLE TO THE DEATH AND IT WAS AWESOME! But then TAK died! And then I got sad… cause I liked Tak." The child looked sad all of a sudden.

"ANYWAY!"He screamed, flinging his arms up again. "Gaz moved in with ZIM cause she loved him and stuuuff. And cause she didn't like Dib anymooooreeee. And then THIS HAPPENED!"


	2. Chapter 1

**Dib-sister 2**

Hello friends! Yes, I have returned. No, I am not dead. I've finally gotten hold of a computer that I can write on and update things with! I have a few of these next chapters ready for posting and I can't wait to show them to you. This one will be a lot of fun to write, I've got a lot of great ideas that I think might top the first one. Maybe. Just maybe. I won't keep you any longer, here is the long awaited sequel to Dib-sister Love-pig. (Yes I think I'm just going to keep the name, as dumb as it is)

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Dib lay flat on his back in the empty bedroom. Everything had been torn down and packed away, leaving light spots on the walls from pictures and posters and indents in the carpet from furniture and other random junk. The only things left in the dark purple room was a bed, stripped of the sheets, and an empty dresser. It has been a little more than a week since she left, but the room still _felt_ like her.

Dib hadn't spoken to Gaz since the incident with Tak, when she decided to move in with Zim. Since then he rarely ever saw his younger sister except at lunch, they not having any classes together. Even then she always sat with Zim, if the two ever came to skool.

With Gaz gone, and Dad at work everyday, Dib was alone. Sure he had the whole house to himself, no more having to fight for the TV, no more of Gaz eating his cereal, no more torment, no more beatings, no more threats, but also, no more companionship. Gaz was Dib's only friend, if you could count family members, and he ruined it.

 _If you go out that door. You're taking his side. And you'll become the enemy._ Dib rubbed his eyes and sighed. He couldn't stop replaying the memory of his harsh words in his big head. Surely there could have been something better he could have said to make Gaz stay. But now it was too late, he opened his mouth and ruined everything. Again.

 _I wonder if she misses me…_ Dib thought, sitting up and leaving her abandoned room.

* * *

"ZIM!" Gaz yelled, slamming the fridge door and stomping into the living room where Zim nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Keep GIR out of the fridge! He stuffed it full of dirt cupcakes again!" She yelled as Zim composed himself.

"Yes my dearest mate." He grumbled getting up from the couch. "GIR!"

It took a few seconds of silence before the little cyan robot shot up from the toilet, bounced off the ceiling, and landed on the floor, face first, with a hard clang.

"Hi floor!" He greeted happily with a grin.

"GIR! Clear out your dirt-cakes from the fridge _now_!" Zim glared down at his little robot, pointing at the kitchen. GIR lifted his head with a sad pout.

"But-but I made them special for Gazzy!" He said with a quivering metal lip.

"GIR…" Zim moaned, rubbing his head, this was the third time GIR had made the cakes, and this was the third time he had this exact conversation.

"Please… Remember with your brains." He spoke slowly, hoping GIR would get the message the third time around. "Gaz. Does not. Eat. DIRT!"

GIR's sad expression disappeared as he looked at Gaz.

"Oooooooohhhhhhhhhh…." He cooed dimly. Zim sighed and held his antennae against his throbbing head.

"Mini-moose!" He called, a little purple moose hovered down from the ceiling.

"Nyah?" It squeaked.

"No, I am not well." Zim responded, turning to look at the moose. "Please. For the love of Irk. PLEASE make sure GIR doesn't make any more dirt cakes."

"Nyah." The moose agreed, it then hovered over to GIR and landed on his head. GIR ran out of the room, with Mini-moose sitting quietly on his head like a little moose-hat.

"What was that?" Gaz asked, leaning on the wall with a puzzled look on her normally grim face.

"What was what?" Zim asked, raising his antennae.

"The moose! What's with the moose?" Gaz pressed.

"Oh yes! That was Mini-moose, my _other_ henchman. Yep…" Zim nodded. "He's always been here, that moose." He nodded again, Gaz raised an eyebrow and shook her head, going back into kitchen to find food that wasn't covered in dirt.

"Aren't you ready to go yet?" Zim asked coming into the kitchen.

"No, I still need to eat something, GIR ruined all my food." She said reaching for a dirty apple and wiping it off before taking a bite.

"Now I'm ready." She said, her mouth full of food. Zim donned his disguise and took Gaz's hand, heading for the door.

* * *

"Why gophers?" Gaz questioned as Zim relayed his latest plan. "Couldn't you just use a generator?"

"Nonsense!" Zim scoffed, walking down the street to the skool. "Such advanced technology couldn't _possibly_ be powered by an Earth generator!"

"But it _can_ be powered by a gopher?" Gaz countered, laughing.

"Not _a_ gopher, do not mock me Gaz-love, _multiple_ gophers."

"But why gophers? Don't you have some kind of machine that's stronger than _gophers?_ "

Zim began laughing and shaking his head at his foolish female-companion.

"Silly little Gaz." He smiled and patted her head. "Perhaps one day you will learn."

Gaz sighed and looked away.

 _No wonder he hasn't conquered Earth yet._ She thought smugly, _He really does need me._

Since moving in with Zim, they had been talking almost nonstop about how they would conquer the world together, however they quickly got nowhere as each of their plans were shot down by the other. It was still fun to think of ways to doom people, Gaz had enjoyed skool a little more when she got to think about how everyone who wronged her that day, or any day, would be doomed at her own hand, more than usual. As the pair approached the skool grounds, Zim took Gaz's hand and began darting his eyes around, daring anyone to approach.

"Zim, relax. Just be cool." Gaz said as he eyed a small group of teenage boys chatting among themselves. Since dating Zim, the boys of her skool decided that she was approachable and could be swayed from Zim to someone more 'worthy'. From then on Zim stayed at her side, threatening all who came near his love-pig.

The boys Zim was eyeing stopped their conversation and looked at the odd pair. The taller one, Torque Smacky, gave a sharp whistle causing Gaz to growl under her breath. She kept walking, trying to tug Zim faster along. Zim scowled at the boys and quickly wrapped his arms around Gaz's head protectively and snarled in their direction.

"Zim!" Gaz protested, trying to free her head from his tight grasp, she couldn't see and couldn't walk forward. The boys began laughing as Zim picked her up and ran into the skool, by her head.

"Zim! Let me go!" She said kicking her legs as Zim set her down just on the other side of the skool doors. He let her go so quickly she stumbled away, regaining her sight and balance quickly. She turned a glare at Zim as she fixed her hair.

"You gotta quit acting like that."

"Those sub-humans were gocking you again." Zim crossed his arms and returned her glare.

"Yea Zim, they have been. It doesn't matter what they do. I'm still _your_ girlfriend. Now knock it off!" She turned on a heel and walked off, Zim quickly caught up and took her hand.

"Fine, but if they continue their vulgar courtship, they will be the first to be doomed."

"And I'll be the one to do it." Gaz smirked, squeezing his hand and continuing down the hallway.


	3. Chapter 2

_Hello! Sorry this one is a little late, I kept not having time to pull up my finished chapters to post them. I'm also trying to give myself some extra time. I have 1-5 done (just need to be looked through for grammar and stuff) but I'm stuck on 6 so I'm trying to stall to give myself some time to write. I'll keep doing my best though! Hope you like what I have so far! Don't forget to review!_

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Dib sat at the lunch table with his head resting in arms while he played with his peas. Alone.

He never realized how good he had it, sitting next to Gaz. Even though she was never much for conversation, always playing her GameSlave, at least he could talk to her and not look crazy. He glanced up at their table again. As usual, Zim watched her play her GameSlave quietly, causally not eating his lunch. A perfect excuse. Dib looked back down at his peas and continued to push them around. He and Gaz never talked anymore, she was usually accompanied by Zim, or avoiding him somehow. Of course he knew why, not only had he invited an alien to Earth to murder her boyfriend, but he had labeled her the enemy. Dib sat up and drank his milk, looking up at them again. Gaz had her head on Zim's shoulder, continuing to play.

Dib sighed and got up to throw his food away. With his hands in his pockets he left the lunchroom to go outside. He sat up on the brick wall by the trash can on the edge of the playground, with his head on his fists, and a scowl on face.

 _It's all Zim's fault._ He thought bitterly. _Everything's always Zim's fault._ Everything in his life was tolerable before Zim came to Earth. It was his fault everyone at skool hated him, or thought he was crazy. It was his fault The Swollen Eyeball wouldn't return his calls. It was his fault he had called Tak in the first place. It was his fault Gaz hated him now. Everything was all his fault.

Dib sighed and looked to his side. This was where he and Tak used to talk, before she tried to hollow out the Earth. Dib looked away, trying to to think about her. Green blood filled his thoughts, dead violet eyes, and cold words.

 _I used you from day one._

Dib shook his head, getting angry again. He was perfectly fine with not knowing Tak was a double crossing bitch, Zim had ruined that as well. His scowl darkened and he looked up to see them walking out into the playground. Zim was marching beside Gaz who played her GameSlave, following as he led the way, darting a glare around wildly. They spoke as they made their way through the skool yard, but Dib was too far to hear anything they were saying.

"Probably plotting." Dib muttered, talking to himself. He hopped down from the wall and began creeping toward them, dodging their line of sight behind playground structures and his peers. They sat across from each at a small bench under a tree, and using his amazing stealth, Dib managed to get behind the tree to listen in on their plans.

"... set on the gophers?" Gaz asked, sounding annoyed. Dib raised an eyebrow.

"I do not expect you to understand, being a human," Zim said proudly. "Irkens have far superior minds, it is a concept that you would not be able to wrap your human-brain-thing around."

Dib leaned off the tree, ready to leave. They weren't talking about anything useful.

"I just don't see how you would think gophers are the best power source for the laser." Gaz growled not looking up from her game. Dib's eyes widened as he attached himself to the tree again, straining to now hear every word.

"I don't have the time, or patience to explain it to you." Zim leaned back on his seat and crossing his arms. Gaz growled as the vampire piggies devoured her character. She set her GameSlave3 down and leaned her chin on her hands.

"So, have you talked to your guy yet? About the plans?"

"I plan on contacting him tonight."

"And how do you know him again?" Gaz raised an eyebrow. Zim smirked darkly.

"Lets just say he owes the empire, we have set up an agreement he can't refuse."

"You realize he's listening right?" Gaz glanced at the tree. Dib froze.

"I just ignore the stink-boy." Zim smiled. "I've gotten used to the Dib listening in on my plans. However, he's too _STUPID_ and _SMELLY_ to do anything about it." Zim emphasized the insults, knowing full well Dib could hear him. Dib came out from behind the tree, glaring at them both.

"A laser, Zim? Isn't that a little cliche?" Dib crossed his arms and leaned on the tree again. Zim rolled his eyes.

"I know not of what you mean, stink-beast." Zim smirked, feigning ignorance. Dib's glare darkened.

"Can we help you, Dib?" Gaz asked, annoyed. Dib turned to her.

"Oh, are you talking to me now?" Gaz scowled at her brother.

"I'm sorry I don't make it a point to talk to the _enemy._ " Gaz spit, throwing Dib's guilt straight in his face, he softened and leaned on their table, Gaz flipped open her GameSlave3 and began playing to ignore him.

"Come on Gaz. You're not really gonna help him destroy the Earth are you? You're better than that! I know you are!"

"Don't tell me what to do, Dib." Gaz snapped, not looking up from her game.

"Gaz! You're not being reasonable! You don't know what you're getting into! The Irkens are planet stealing monsters, they conquer a planet and then destroy it! Or use it for something stupid!"

"How _dare_ you insult the empire!" Zim yelled, standing up from his seat, glaring at Dib a few inches from his face. "How do you even _know_ all that?"

"I have ways of getting information." Dib smirked. "You wanna know what else I know? I know that one of the first planets you conquered in Operation Impending Doom 2 was wiped of life and turned into a huge parking garage! The WHOLE planet!"

Zim, shocked that Dib knew so much, regained his composer and waved him off, shaking his head.

"The Slaughtering Rat-people of Blorch were of no use to the universe. They're better off gone."

"But they were still people!" Dib snapped, pushing Zim to the ground. Gaz got up from her seat, pausing her game and glared darkly at Dib.

"Knock it off Dib!" She warned.

"Fine, what about the Vortians? Huh? They were your allies and you enslaved their _whole_ race! And for WHAT? A _COUCH?"_

"It was the universe's _most comfortable_ couch!" Zim said, picking himself up from the ground and brushing himself off. "And by that fact alone it belonged to the Tallests!"

"Are you kidding me?" Dib yelled. "How can you possibly justify that? AN ENTIRE RACE became SLAVES so your stupid leaders could get a new COUCH!"

Zim's composer snapped, and he quickly lunged for Dib. Zim grabbed him in a painful headlock and threw him to the ground with a hard smack. Dib looked up at Zim who towered over him threateningly.

"Listen now little _Earth-monkey_. You will _NEVER_ insult the Tallests again. Or I will see to it that when we do take this filthy dirt ball. _You_ will be the first to die."

Dib stared up, frozen on the ground at Zim. It was one of the very few moments that he was actually afraid of the alien. Zim turned and began walking away. Dib looked over at Gaz who watched him quietly.

"Gaz…" Dib pleaded. In response, Gaz left her seat and followed Zim out of the playground.


	4. Chapter 3

_Hello! Yes, I'm sorry in advance about how I treat Dib in these stories. You have to admit, he's an easy target. But I do feel bad._

 _Anyway! Here's where thing start to get interesting so buckle up!_

 _Also, I wanted to give a quick shoutout to my friend Dib! (Yes that's her name, long story). Her name on here however, is Mixceny. She used to be a Black Butler writer here, but she's starting out with some IZ's of her own. Go check her out! She's a cool girl._

 _(Pssst. Dib! Did I do it right? I get my cookie now, right?)_

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Zim sat back in his chair and sighed as he removed his disguise.

"Computer, contact Prisoner 777." He sighed, already bored of the work he had to do. His computer whirled to life.

"Fine." It groaned as Zim's monitors lit up his dark labs. The Irken insignia spun slowly on the screen as the transmission waited to be connected. A successful beep sounded as the screen shown a small room, buzzing with blue electric walls, and a small purple creature with ram's horns looked up from a corner of the room.

"Oh hey Zim. How's it going?" He said in a high, nasally voice.

"Spare me your dull formalities, Vortian. I need schematics for a plan I'm working on."

"Sure thing, lemme see." He stood up and walked closer to the screen. Zim typed commands into his computer, bringing up a basic list onto the monitor. The Vortian squinted at his own screen.

"Okay, let's see…da-da-da-da. Laser, blah-blah-blah, 'powered by gophers?'" He raised an eyebrow and looked back at Zim. "What's a gopher?"

"A small Earth rodent. Minimal capabilities, little to no usable resources." Zim waved his hand and closed his eyes.

"And you want one to power the laser?" The prisoner cocked his head, clearly confused. Zim opened his eyes and glared up at him.

"Not one. Multiple." Zim's antennae propped up as he heard Gaz coming down in the elevator.

"You do realize I could probably give you the schematics for a generator? A better one than gophers?" Zim leaned forward in his seat.

"Do you question me Vortian?" Zim warned, typing more commands until a small pod rose from the floor containing three smaller purple Vortians. The prisoner suddenly looked a little fearful, shaking his head.

"Hi Daddy!" One of the Vortians greeted happily.

"Do you think that is _wise_?" Zim demanded, gesturing toward a large red button labeled 'erase children'. "With a single push of a button I can erase them from existence!"

"N-no Zim. I wasn't… I mean, I just thought I'd get you something better."

"I suggest you do I say." Zim snapped, pointing a finger up at the screen. "Or have you forgotten our deal? _You_ provide me with information, I _don't_ press the button!"

"No." The prisoner sighed. "I haven't forgotten. Gophers it is." The Vortian began typing things onto his own screen. Zim glanced behind him as Gaz stepped out of the elevator with her hands in her pockets.

"Hey Zim, you get the plans yet?" Gaz asked, coming into view. As soon as she did, the Vortian stopped what he was doing and scrunched up it's nose, looking disgusted.

"Ek, what _is_ that?" He flicked a finger in Gaz's direction. Zim whipped around, now fuming. He slammed his hands down on his desk and glared up at the Vortian.

"You _DARE_ insult my mate you filthy little goat-monster?" Zim spit at the now surprised Vortian.

"Y-your mate? That?" He pointed again, confused, and a little grossed out. Zim gave a short growl and turned to Gaz.

"Gaz! Press that button that says 'erase children'!"

"NO! Wait please! I'm sorry little… purple thing… I meant no disrespect." Gaz shrugged.

"Okay." She said, not really caring. The Vortian breathed a sigh of relief. Zim, still fuming, spun back toward the prisoner.

"Count yourself lucky my mate is merciful today." Zim pointed up at him as he quickly nodded.

"Yes. Yes I will."

"Get back to work." Zim said, turning to walk away from the screen. "I'm going to check on GIR." He said, walking past Gaz to the elevator. Gaz stepped forward to the screen as the Vortian typed furiously on his screen.

"What are you supposed to be?" Gaz asked sitting in Zim's chair. He glanced at Gaz and back at his work.

"I am Prisoner Number 777." He said, trying not to stare at Gaz.

"What are you in prison for?" Gaz asked, raising an eyebrow. The Vortian furrowed his eyebrows.

"Being a Vortian." He muttered bitterly, still typing.

"How long have you been here?" Gaz asked, leaning back in her chair and putting her legs up.

"Almost 8 years since the capture of my planet by Irken Invader Larb. Most of my people were enslaved to work for the empire as engineers. I'm actually getting out tomorrow on 'good behavior'." He shook his head. "It's actually because they think I'm useful enough to be put to work outside the prison."

"That's… cool?"

"Yes, well that's war I guess." He sighed. "Here's the plans you needed."

"Message received." The computer stated dryly as pages began printing from the desk.

"Thanks." Gaz took the pages and began looking through them, trying to understand the Irken symbols.

"So, uh. Listen, since I'm getting out, I was wondering if you could talk to Zim about my kids-" Gaz switched the screen off and started toward the elevator.

* * *

Dib sat in his room flipping through the pictures on his computer that he had downloaded from his camera. Every picture he's ever taken of Zim has been fuzzy or shots of parts of his face. Nothing that could ever be taken seriously. But the images on his screen were perfect, crystal clear, full body shots of him without his disguise.

He was tied to a chair, squinting in the bright flash in a few, and glaring in one. But the last picture in the list was a little more brutal. It was a close-up of his bruised face, with a bent antennae hanging on the side. Anyone that saw these would finally believe Dib about Zim being an alien, they were clear as day. He made sure to take good ones on that night, for exactly this moment.

 _Just push the button Dib._ He thought hovering over a 'send' button. He had prepared a message to the Swollen Eyeball Network to the only one that would listen to him anymore, Agent Darkbootie. Dib took a gulp a went to press it again, but again he choked and backed off.

"Damn it!" He yelled, pushing his chair from his desk. He leaned back and stared at the ceiling as his chair bumped into his bed and stopped. He rubbed his eyes under his glasses and gave an annoyed groan.

"Why can't I do it?" He asked no one, he stood out of his chair and began pacing around his room. "Okay let's look over the facts." He opened his hand.

"On one hand, Zim is an alien here to conquer Earth and give it to his leaders that may or may not enslave the human race. And now he has help, competent help, so he might actually win this time."

Dib stopped and looked at his other hand.

"On the other hand, Gaz is involved with his plans, and exposing Zim could put her in danger as well. _And_ if Zim is hurt she'll never forgive me."

Dib slumped down on his bed weighing his options in each hand, continuing to talk to himself..

"But she _already_ will never forgive me for trying to kill Zim in the first place… _And_ I owe it to mankind to protect them from imminent danger, being the only one who sees it coming. And if I let Zim go for Gaz's sake, the entire world could end as we know it. Morally, could I let that happen?"

Dib fell back in his bed. "But Zim has never even come close to winning in the past, and if I turn him in that'll put Gaz in danger. She's my sister, no matter what she's done or what she's doing, she's still my sister. Morally, could I let _that_ happen?"

Dib sighed and closed his eyes. He was tired of fighting with himself.

 _Why me?_ He thought _. Why couldn't Zim go land in some other town? Bother some other kid all the time? Why does this have to fall on me?_

"Because some other kid isn't me." Dib said sitting up. "I'm the one in the secret society that studies the paranormal. I'm the one with the world famous dad that can makes things happen at the snap of his fingers."

Dib sat off his bed and began pacing again.

"I'm the one who sees through Zim's disguise and sees what kind of monster he really is. I'm the one with the capabilities to stop him from destroying the world, not some other kid. And Zim happened to land in MY town, he came to MY skool."

Dib stopped and raised his hands in fists. "It's destiny that he came to me. I'm the only one that can stop him! Can I really throw all that away to save _one_ person? Can I sacrifice the _world_ for _one_ person?" He asked nobody, triumphantly.

 _But that_ one _person is my sister._ Dib thought, dropping his arms. _The only real family I have._ Dib stood in the middle of his room, fighting his thought again. Then, suddenly, Dib yelled in frustration and pounded his head on his wall.

"Come on!" He begged. He stepped back and held his now throbbing head. He opened his eyes, dropped his arms and looked back at his computer. The pictures were still up, Zim glared back at him from behind the screen, tied to his chair. Dib walked forward and reached for the button. He stopped and looked up at Zim again.

"I'm not going to let you win." Dib vowed, glaring at the images. Then he pressed the send button.

* * *

 _DUN DUN DUUUUUN! Bet you forgot he had those, huh? Bet you didn't think I would use those, huh? Like I said, this is where it gets interesting. Next chapter will be better. I swear it! Don't forget to check out Mixceny!_

 _Thank you!_


	5. Chapter 4

_Hey everybody! Hope you guys are liking it so far. Just wanted say that the user Invader Johnny was king enough to let me use his term SLORGAK._

 _Slorgak : An IZ version of interracial couples. Quick shout out to him! Go check out his Invader Zim stories! They're awesome!_

 _Thanks again for reading! Don't forget to review!_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

"Incoming transmission from Vort." An Irken drone barked. The Tallests, previously enjoying their snacks, groaned.

"Accepted." Tallest Red ordered, leaning back in his seat. A small purple Vortian appeared on screen, accompanied by two other Irken soldiers.

"State your business." Red ordered, already bored.

"My Tallests, this Vortian prisoner has asked for your audience."

"Um actually-" The Vortian coughed, "Ex-prisoner. My um… Tallests?" He laughed nervously.

"State your name, state your business." Purple demanded. Also bored.

"Right, um. I am Prisoner number 7-er- no. Wal Gern, my T-Tallests. I'm here to ask, well, I've been in prison for a while and, well since you let me you go, I was wondering if I could get some... compensation?"

"Compensation?" Red asked leaning in his seat, his antennae flattened on his head.

"Y-yes sirs…"

"You expect us to pay you for being a prisoner of war?" Purple demanded, annoyed.

"No no no. I didn't mean with monies." He shook his head. "There's actually something you could help me with. You see, over the years I've been helping one of your Invaders acquire information and make schematics for different 'doomsday plans'." He waved his hands and laughed nervous. "Zim, you know him, anyway-"

"Zim?" Red demanded, sitting up from his chair. "You've been helping Zim?"

"Are you aware that Food-service drone Zim has been exiled from the Empire?" Purple sneered.

"H-he has? He said he was an Invader." Wal Gern stuttered. Purple began to giggle.

"Yea, he thinks he is." He laughed, reaching for more snacks.

"Zim was exiled to the planet Earth during Operation Impending Doom 2 so he would not disturb any plans." Red droned. "Why are you in _any_ contact with him?"

"W-well I wasn't doing anything on purpose! He-he was forcing me to!" Wal Gern stammered. "Somehow while I was in prison he obtained control of my children. He's been forcing me to do what he says for about 6 years now."

"And you want us to do what?" Red asked, getting impatient.

"Free my children, my Tallest, that's all I ask. Tell Zim to let them go and I'll be a loyal servant." Red smirked and shook his head, Purple continued eating his snacks.

"The way I see it is, you already are a loyal servant." Red smiled. "The deals you make behind that are of no concern to us."

"But… But he'll listen to you! You can't do this!"

"Already done. Escort our loyal servant to his new quarters." The Irken guards beside the prisoner nodded and grabbed for the him.

"Wait! You can't do this! I've been in prison for 7 years!" The Vortian fought against the guards trying to drag him off. "Zim's been blackmailing me! He and his mate have my children! The least you can-"

"Woh woh woh!" Red interrupted, waving his hand. The guards stopped. "Go back, say that again."

"I've been in prison for 7 years?" He cocked his head.

"No, the other thing."

"Zim's been blackmailing me?"

"After that!" Red shouted impatiently.

"He and his mate have my children?"

Purple coughed and began choking on his snacks. A few of the service drones rushed to help but he waved them off. Red stood quietly puzzled for a few seconds. Then shook his head.

"His _mate_? Purple, did we assign Zim a _mate_?" He turned to his co-leader, who recovered from choking.

"Of course not! Why would we want _him_ in the gene pool?" He snapped, Red turned back to Wal Gern.

"What mate are you talking about?" Red asked. The Vortian shrugged and shook his head.

"I don't know what it was." He sighed, annoyed. He waved a hand over his horns. "It had purple on the top of its head."

"Purple?" Red's antennae propped up.

"You mean the human?" Purple asked. "That's not his mate, that's his slave."

"I don't know, he definitely called it his mate." The Vortian nodded his head. Tallest Red stood quietly again, clearly confused.

"But that doesn't make sense," He began. "He said it was his…" Then both Tallests shared a look, realization swept over them at exactly the same time. Tallest Purple began to gag and retch, while Tallest Red crossed his arms and smiled smugly.

"His mate, huh?" He mused.

"UGH! THAT'S DISGUSTING!" Purple bellowed, horrified. Tallest Red sat down in his chair shaking his head, still smiling.

"I took Zim for a lot of things. A Defective, a menace to the Empire, an idiot. But never a Slorgak!" He began laughing. The confused Vortian shook his head.

"I don't see how any of this matters." He asked impatiently. Red stopped laughing and snapped up.

"Of course you don't, Vortian." Then he leaned forward in his chair. Wal Gern opened his mouth to speak but Red interrupted. "You see, on Irk, mates are assigned to significant partners when they reach a certain rank of command. Naturally we want the best pairs to make the best smeets, so it's a delicate process. All pairings are managed by the Tallest and approved by the Control Brains, that's how it's been since the first few Tallests." Purple sat back in his own chair.

"Every one of them must be approved. Failure to comply makes you a defective." Red smiled. "So taking on a mate without the Tallests' permission… a mate of another species no less… that's quite the defective thing to do."

"But what about-" Wal Gern started, getting angry.

"That quite the _traitorous_ thing to do." Purple pointed out, also now smiling. The Vortian snapped.

"I'VE BEEN IN PRISON FOR 7 YEARS, 11 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS AND 4 DAYS! And all you care about is whether or not one of your MILLIONS of soldiers is a DEFECTIVE SLORGAK?" He bellowed so loud that even his guards jumped up in surprise. The Tallests looked at him dully.

"ZIM HAS MY _CHILDREN_ HOSTAGE! MY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN _ENSLAVED_ BY YOU IRKEN SCUM! The least you can do is order the release OF MY KIDS!"

"Disrespecting the Tallests," Purple droned, waving an arm. The Vortian quickly slapped his hands over his mouth, suddenly terrified. "Throw him in prison for another 7 years."

"What?! NO! Wait! No please stop!" The two guards grabbed him and began to pull him away.

"No, wait a minute." Red held up a hand, the guards stopped. "That's not fair at all."

"Oh thank you my Tallest. Thank you!" He clasped his hands together, smiling and nodding.

"He disrespected both of us." Red continued. "That's 7 years each, 14 years in the Vortian prison."

"NO!" He screamed as the guards began dragging him off again. He fought, still screaming. "I DIDN'T MEAN IT! PLEASE! LONG LIVE THE TALLESTS! LONG LIVE THE IRKEN EMPIRE! NOOOOO!"

"Cut the transmission." Red demanded, wincing from the noise. The screen went blank and he turned to Purple.

"Purple this is our chance! We can't try him as a defective again, but we _can_ try him as a Slorgak!"

Purples eyes widened. "We can finally get rid of Zim..."

Red nodded, smiling. "Now. All we have to do is-"

"My Tallest, incoming transmission from Earth." A service drone barked. The Tallests shared an evil look.

"Accepted." They said at the same time.

* * *

 _Earlier_

"What's the plan tonight?" Gaz asked, bent over her Game slave as they walked down the street to skool.

"Once our supplies arrive, we'll send them up to the space station." Zim said, walking beside her. "Which means we'll have to fit you a space suit."

"I have no idea how I'm going to build a space laser, Zim." Gaz pointed, annoyed. Zim began to snicker.

"Of course not little human," He patted her head, she began to growl under her breath. "That's why I'll be there to teach you how. Building lasers is smeets-play."

"I still think we should talk to the goat guy about a generator." Gaz said, more calm. Zim shook his head.

"You'll see, Gaz-love. It _will_ work."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then we will speak to the Vortian about a generator." Zim groaned. The human was stubborn. He glanced away from her at a group of humans across the street huddled over a single newspaper, whispering among themselves. Zim raised an eyebrow, but continued walking.

"You underestimate the gophers, Gaz-beast." He assured, looking back at her.

"Where are we even going to get all the gophers?" Gaz asked, looking up from her game. Zim stopped on the sidewalk.

"I didn't think of that…" Gaz spun on the sidewalk.

"What, did you think we were just gonna _happen_ onto the gophers? How many do we need?" She shouted. Zim stared blankly at her.

"I didn't think of that, either." Gaz sighed and turned to continue walking. Zim followed close behind her.

"Damn it Zim, this is the kind of stuff you need to plan for!"

"The preparations are still being made, there is still time." Zim snapped, trying to preserve his pride. Zim ran up next to Gaz, running straight into a taller man staring at his cell phone. The man looked down at a glaring Zim.

"Watch where you're going dirt-beast!" He spit. The man, immediately afraid, began to stutter before running away. Zim stood in the middle of the sidewalk, confused, as Gaz continued without him. Zim smiled proudly at the fleeing human and turned to catch up to Gaz as they approached the skool grounds.

"What was that guy's problem?" Gaz asked, staring down at her game. Zim shrugged, still looking proud.

"Clearly, he was intimidated by my superiority." He grinned. Gaz raised an eyebrow, looking around. Groups of kids whispered with themselves. Kids quickly got out of the way as the pair walked toward the skool. Zim was making tough faces at passersby, who backed away, terrified; this made Zim even more proud. Gaz raised an eyebrow.

Something seemed off…

The whole skool yard was staring at Zim and Gaz, whispering or looking nervous or fearful. Zim marched proudly into the skool as Gaz stood on the steps looking out at her peers before going in behind him. As soon as she walked into the skool, she walked right into him.

"Zim! Move! What are you-" Gaz stopped and dropped her mouth. Zim was frozen, wide eyed, staring down the hall. Every locker hung two pictures, one was of Zim and his disguise, the other was one of him glaring at the camera, without his disguise. Posters hung on the walls of Zim without his disguise with words written in big black letters. 'Alien', 'Menace', 'Irken' and other slanderous terms. Panicked students squabbled over the posters, fretting over themselves.

"'Irken'? What does that mean?"

"Dib said that's his race!"

"Wow! Zim's an alien? That's so cool!"

"Shut up Keef!"

"What if he really takes over Earth?"

"LOOK! THERE HE IS!" Screamy screamed and pointed at Zim, everyone gasped and turned to look. Zim stared out at the fearful crowd, still frozen in place, and began to sweat. People backed away, wide eyed with horror, but one soul came out of the crowd, holding a newspaper. The boy walked all the way to meet his foe, face to face, then dropped it at his feet. The front page was Zim's two photos, human and Irken, the heading read:

' **LOCAL BOY DISCOVERS MALICIOUS ALIEN!'**

' **Paranormal enthusiast and local madman, Dib Membrane, exposes extraterrestrial plot to conquer Earth'**

Zim looked up at Dib, literally shaking in his boots.

"You're _done_ Zim." He said coldly as sirens began to approach. "Earth wins."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Zim took a nervous step back, looking at the angry faces around him.

"N-nonsense!" He stutters. "Lies! All lies! I am human! I'm NORMAL!" He begged as the sirens got closer.

"Cut the shit Zim!" Dib yelled, pointing a finger at Zim. "Show them what you are!"

"Your insulting slander INSULTS me!" Zim snapped at Dib, trying to find his courage. He grabbed a picture from a nearby locker. "This looks nothing like me!" He pointed at his Irken photo, making the same glare as in the picture. Dib lunged for Zim who fought to keep his disguise on. Dib managed to tackle Zim and pin him to the ground. He took a handful of Zim's wig and tore it away, revealing his antennae.

"Release me NOW!" Zim fought against him, the whole hallway of students gasped.

"Dib!" Gaz boomed, pushing him off of Zim. "What did you do?"

"I did what any sane human would do! I exposed him as the evil alien menace that he is!" Dib mocked, throwing Zim's wig away behind him. Zim scowled at Dib with a ferocious hate, then back at his peers. Zim shot up off the ground, trying to cover his head.

"No! It's not what it looks like! I'm NORMAL!" Zim panicked, backing up. Everyone still stared, not believing him.

There was no way out.

With a sigh he tore away his contacts and threw them to the ground as well, he was now full Irken in front of the whole skool. Everyone pointed and murmured to each other.

"He really IS an alien!"

"Look at that!"

"He looks like a big, green ant!"

The windows in the front doors began to flash with red and blue as the sirens got closer.

"This is the police. We have the place surrounded. We know the alien is inside, we ask that it comes quietly, with its hands up!" A police man shouted from a speaker phone out the doors. Gaz looked out the window, police cars were everywhere with at least 2 cops per car, all armed with pistols aimed for the front doors.

"Zim." She warned. "We need to leave!"

"We are." Zim said, dramatically. Suddenly, his spider legs shot out from his PAK, rising him off the ground and aimed at the swell of students in the hallway, who began to scream and panic at the terrifying sight. He used one of his legs to scoop Gaz onto his back and another to smack Dib out of his way. Dib was launched into one of the lockers to the side, knocking off a few of Zim's pictures which scattered on the ground around him.

Zim then began to charge straight through the students who screamed and scrambled to clear a path. Zim ran as fast as he could through the hallway, knocking anyone in his way to the side, full-force. Zim rounded a corner which sent more unexpecting students into mass panic as he barreled down on his sharp metal legs.

"Call GIR!" Gaz yelled, clinging on his neck for dear life. Almost immediately, his communicator unfolded out of his PAK.

"GIR! THE MISSION'S BEEN COMPROMISED! YOU-" Zim flinched back from the device as GIR began shrieking into it. Zim groaned and dove into the boy's bathroom. There's nobody inside. He put Gaz down and yelled into the mic again.

"GIR! STOP SCREAMING!" He screamed, GIR complied as if nothing had happened. "Gaz and I are stuck on the skool grounds so you need to grab Mini-moose and-"

"He's on my head!" GIR responded happily. Zim lost it.

"GIR YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO ME WITH EVERY _FUNCTIONING_ PIECE OF YOUR BODY! GRAB MINI-MOOSE, TAKE THE VOOT RUNNER AND COME GET US! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

There was a short pause. "Nu-uh."

Zim began cursing wildly in what Gaz could only assume was his native language.

"Nyah!" Something squeaked into the mic, Zim stopped cursing and looked back at the communicator.

"Mini-moose! Did you hear what I said?"

"Nyah!" The moose squeaked. Zim looked a little more relieved.

"Hurry!"

"Nyah!" Then the communicator folded back into his PAK and Zim turned to Gaz.

"Mini-moose is on his way." He ran past her and peeked outside the bathroom door, the hallways were being emptied and patrolled by policemen. Zim quickly backed off the door and searched around the room for an exit.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Zim asked frantically bursting open stalls and looking at the closed concrete walls. There was a very small, short, window high off the ground, but neither of them would be able to fit through. Suddenly a small orange haired child in a large red sweatshirt burst through the bathroom door, quickly shutting it behind him. Zim dove for the child, opening his PAK legs and aiming it at his throat, and pinned him on the door.

"Keef." He hissed, flattening his antennae. Keef smiled and waved at Zim.

"Hey buddy! Hey Gaz." He greeted, slightly nervous.

"What do you want worm-boy?" Zim threatened, growling at the clingy human.

"I wanted to help!" He pushed one of the sharp legs away from his face. "I have a plan to get you guys out of here."

"Your lies infuriate me." Zim growled, pointing the leg back at him.

"Why would you want to help us?" Gaz questioned. Keef's eyes grew wide with hope.

"Zim's my bestest friend in the whole wide world!" He said seriously, clasping his hands together. "We've been through so much together! I'm not gonna let the police get him. No way!" He grinned dumbly. Zim raised an antenna in question. Gaz crossed her arms and scowled.

"Can we trust him?" Gaz asked, uncertain. Zim turned to look around the room, at Gaz, then back at Keef.

"We have no other choice." Zim sighed lowering his legs.

"Aw great!" Keef squeaked, clapping his hands. "You'll see Zim! We'll get you outta here in no time!"

"Zim _and_ Gaz will escape." Zim threatened, pointing a leg at him again. Keef began nodding wildly.

"Sure thing buddy!" He began tearing off his sweatshirt and tossed it to Zim. "Here, put this on and cover your head. I'll stand guard!"

Zim groaned and began fighting to get his arms in the right holes while Keef peeked out the door again. The sweatshirt was a little big for Zim but it fit for the most part, he tossed the hood over his antennae and looked in the mirror.

"People are still gonna know who he is. How do we cover his face?" Gaz pointed out. Keef looked back at them, smiling.

"There some glasses in the pocket." Zim reached in the pocket and removed a pair of Groucho glasses. He put them on and looked in the mirror. His antennae dropped in disappointment as he glared at his reflection.

"I hate humans." He mumbled, itching his fake moustache.

"The coast is clear! Time to go!"

"Wait! This'll never work! A fake nose and a bushy moustache isn't going to fool anyone!" Gaz said pointing at Zim's horrible disguise.

"It'll be fine." Keef assured, waving them over to the open door. "We have to go now!" Then he ran out the door. Gaz and Zim shared a look before following him out of the bathroom.

The trio snuck down the empty hallway toward the teacher's lounge.

"We're gonna get into the air ducts and escape onto the roof."

"Brilliant." Zim grumbled, still upset about his ridiculous outfit.

"Hey! You there!" A man's voice bounced down the halls, they froze as he sped toward them.

"Yes Mr. Policeman Sir?" Keef asked innocently. "Act normal." He whispered to the side.

"Have you kids seen this alien?" The cop asked when he caught up with them.

"ALIEN? WHERE? I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT ALIEN BEFORE IN MY LIFE!" Zim shouted, whipping his head around obnoxiously looking for the 'alien'.

"Um… I haven't shown you the picture yet." The policeman raised an eyebrow and held up one of Zim's pictures.

"Eh, right." Zim laughed nervously and looked at his picture, holding his finger to his mouth observantly.

"Eh… Nope! Still haven't seen that _alien_. Oh, but when I do? I will most _certainly_ -Mmph!" Gaz held her hand over Zim's mouth and smiled at the cop.

"Haven't seen him!" She grinned unsettlingly. The officer looked at Zim for a second and shrugged.

"You kids keep an eye out for him then." He nodded and leaned into them. "He could be _anywhere_." He whispered looking around the halls.

"Will do!" Gaz nodded, still holding Zim's mouth. Keef gave a thumbs-up. The cop began racing down a different hallway heroically. Gaz removed her hand and thumped Zim in the back of the head.

"You're gonna get us caught!" She snapped. Zim glared at her, about to speak.

"Come on guys! We're almost there." Keef began running down the hallway toward the teacher's lounge and peeked into the door. He gave a thumbs up and slipped in while Zim and Gaz followed. Seeing that the room was empty, Zim immediately tore off his disguise and threw it to the ground with a sneer.

"It's up there!" Keef pointed to an air duct on the wall above a snack machine and began pushing chairs over to climb on. Zim started climbing into the chairs and, using his PAK legs, he tore the duct open.

"Wow. You're so cool, Zim!" Keef praised as he climbed up the chairs behind him.

"Follow me!" Keef said climbing into the duct in front of Zim. Zim sighed and climbed in behind him. Gaz followed after moving a table in front of the door. The air duct was a tight squeeze but they were able to move forward easily.

"We just have to go right up here, and then straight up." Keef said, moving quickly through the vents.

"How do you know?" Gaz asked, behind Zim. Keef stopped and looked back. He thought for a second and shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Who _cares_ how he knows!" Zim snapped, pushing on Keef's foot "Just move forward Keef-human! The smell is _repulsive_!"

"Oh yea! Sure thing buddy!" Keef smiled and began moving forward again.

"The sight is also unpleasant." Zim grumbled. Gaz hit his foot against the side of the vent.

"Be quiet dummy!" Gaz whispered. Zim scowled back at her.

"You be quiet!" He ordered quietly.

"Shhh!"

"You shhhh!"

"Guys! It's up here!" Keef called, getting up. The duct curved in front of a short ladder, light appeared to come out at the top. You could still hear the sirens outside the skool, Gaz thought she could hear a helicopter. "It's just out there!" Keef pointed up the ladder, standing in front of Zim and Gaz.

"Thanks Keef. We owe you." Gaz nodded.

"Yes, yes, yes we will think of you in the future!" Zim said, begrudgingly waving off Keef.

"Wow Zim! You look so cool as an alien!" Keef grinned, taking him in. "Are these your ears?" He asked, grabbing into one of Zim's antenna.

"Ow!" Zim cursed and immediately flinched back, slapping Keef's hand off.

"Sorry Zim." Keef frowned and stood back to let them pass. "I'll see you guys later! Okay?"

"Not likely." Zim denied dryly, beginning to climb the ladder up.

"Oh well… Good luck then!" Keef waved up, still grinning. Gaz followed Zim up the ladder, hearing Keef go back through the air duct. Zim opened the grate with his legs and they climbed through. The whole building was surrounded with flashing blue and red lights of police cars. Cops scrambled around the building like ants, in the distance Gaz could see three helicopters coming their way.

"Where's the moose?" Gaz asked, looking around in the sky. Zim pulled out his communicator.

"Mini-moose! We're on the roof! Where are you?"

"Nyah!"

"It's the skool! The _big_ building that says 'Skool'! We're on the roof!" Zim yelled into the mic. Gaz looked back at the approaching helicopters.

"Nyaaahhh…"

"There he is!" Zim pointed into the sky as the Voot Runner shot through the clouds and into the building. The crashing Voot captured the attention of the cops on the ground, who started shooting at the ship. The windshield of the ship opened, GIR was still piloting the controls as if they were still flying and Mini-moose was still seated on top of GIR's head.

"Quickly!" Zim yelled, running for the Voot. Gaz followed, covering her head. They jumped in and Zim slammed the windshield shut, knocked GIR out of the way of the controls and began furiously typing in commands. Useless bullets continued to ricochet off the windshield when Zim finally managed to pull the slightly damaged ship off the roof. The helicopters finally arrived and also shot at them while surrounding them in a tight circle.

"Hold onto something!" Zim called, aiming the ship upward. GIR immediately latched himself onto Gaz's head. Zim raised a fist and slammed it on a flashing red panel. In a flash, the whole ship launched into the sky, through the clouds and into the atmosphere before any of the cops could bat an eye. The force of the launch forced Zim deep into his own chair while Gaz was knocked into the back of the ship, with a squealing GIR attached to her head. Soon, they passed into space and Zim pressed a nearby button, causing the ship to quickly slow. Without the momentum attaching her to the wall, Gaz fell onto the floor with a thump. GIR was still squealing manically on her head, Gaz shoved him off and climbed into the front of the ship.

"Well…" She laughed, "That was fun." Zim pried himself out of his chair and looked at his love-pig with a raised eyebrow.

"You have odd ideas of 'fun'." He looked back at his minions. "Everybody here?" GIR began looking around and panicking.

"DA MOOSE GOT LOST!" He shrieked, trying to find Mini-moose, who was still attached to the top of his head.

"Nyah!" Mini-moose consoled, GIR smiled happily and sat back down on the floor. Gaz smirked and looked at Zim, only to immediately lose her cool. She lashed out in a quick punch on Zim's arm.

"Ow!" He scowled at her, rubbing his arm. "What was tha-"

"DIB HAD PICTURES OF YOU?!" Gaz boomed, Zim jumped back, not expecting such rage. "WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?"

Zim put a hand behind his head, embarrassed. "It _could_ have been when Tak captured us a week ago…"

"You KNEW he had pictures of you?" She yelled, punching him again. "And you didn't DO anything about it?"

"I didn't think he'd actually _use_ them!" Zim yelled back, getting defensive. "Or that anyone would actually _believe_ him!"

"Great Zim!" Gaz shot, sitting on the floor. "Now what are we going to do?"

Zim's scowl disappeared and he sat back in his seat in thought.

"Well…" He started. "I've been discovered, so the whole of Earth will most likely be notified of my presence. Which means I've failed my mission."

He slumped farther into his seat, dropping his antennae. "I will have to return home."

"What about me?" Gaz asked. Zim gave her a quick glance.

"That would be up to you. My Tallest already believe you to be my slave, my higher rank would allow me to keep you. However, your life on Earth has not been compromised. I could return you when night falls."

Gaz sat quietly and looked at the floor. Go to space, or go back to Earth. She didn't have anything on Earth, except Dib. But Dib was the reason this happened in the first place, then again so was Zim. She would either have to go back home and forget Zim ever existed, or go to an alien planet she knew nothing about. She would probably have to go back to living with Dib and be tormented at skool for being with Zim in the first place. That's the last thing she wanted. But to go back with Zim and live out her days on a foreign planet?

Zim squirmed in his seat.

"Of course…" He started. Gaz looked up at him. "I would prefer it if you came with me."

That's all she needed to hop off the fence. Gaz smiled and punched Zim again.

"You're not leaving without me."

"YAY! GAZZY'S GONNA GO TO SPACE!" GIR shrieked, breaking the touching moment. Zim scowled at GIR, rubbing his arm again.

"Yes GIR. Gaz will be coming with us."

* * *

 _Aww! Yea sorry, you guys were probably getting Redemption flashbacks XD. Don't worry Gaz'll be sticking around for while. I loved putting Keef in to save the day! Too bad Zim still doesn't like him. Thanks so much for reading! Don't forget to review!_


	7. Chapter 6

_Once again, I do not own the word Slorgak. That belongs to Invader Johnny. So, Gazzy's going to space! What will that mean for our heroes since the Tallest know their little secret? See for yourself!_

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

"So… what now?" Gaz asked, sitting back on the floor. Zim leaned back in his chair.

"We would have to gather supplies for you… destroy the base… oh!" He popped up and began typing into his controls. "We should contact My Tallest."

A small screen on his control panels lit up, and his Irken symbol spun on the screen for a few seconds before he was patched through. The Tallests were smiling, happy to see him.

"My Tallest." Zim bowed his head and wiggled his antennae, Gaz smiled, he looked dumb.

"Yes Zim?" Tallest Red asked, in a smooth questioning tone.

"I have failed my mission, I was discovered on Earth and will be returning to Irk." Zim dropped his antennae shamefully.

"Is that so?" Red smirked.

"And will your… _slave_ be coming as well?" Purple asked, trying to hold in laughter. Gaz scowled at the screen, Zim nodded, glancing nervously at Gaz.

"Um. Yes. I was hoping to bring my… slave, as a… token from my years on Earth." Zim said nervously.

"Of course Zim!" Red nodded. "Take all the slaves you wan-" Red broke off screen to wheeze and laugh.

"Be sure to come straight to Irk!" Purple demanded. Zim nodded obediently.

"Yes my Tallest. I will depart after gathering a few supplies."

"Fine Zim, be sure to say 'hi' to your slo- _slave_ for me." Purple stuttered and Red began laughter harder in the background before the transmission was cut.

"That was weird." Gaz observed, raising an eyebrow. Zim turned to Gaz proudly.

"Gaz-love, you have been honored with a greeting from my Tallest."

"Yea Zim, I heard." Gaz said. "Do I really have to be your slave?" She complained. Zim shook his head and turned to his controls, charting a course.

"Not if you want to be tried as a Slorgak."

"A what?"

"A Slorgak." Zim blushed, not looking at Gaz. "It's when two species... Like human and Irken… care... deeply for each other." His blushed deepened.

"So, we're a Slorgak?"

"No, you are a Slorgak, Zim is a Slorgak. _We_ are Slorgak _s_."

"Why does it matter if _we_ are Slorgaks?" She asked, annoyed.

"It's a high offense on Irk," He explained. "Mates are assigned to us. Irken and Irken, nothing else. It's a high offense to try and choose your own mate, it's worse if you become a Slorgak." Zim turned the Voot toward his crescent space base.

"One of our Tallests was a Slorgak, Tallest Ken, with a Meekrob. He was deemed a traitor to the Empire and he and his mate were deactivated." Zim looked over at Gaz. "That's what started the war between us and the Meekrob, the female was someone important, also it broke our treaty. We've been at war ever since."

"Why did they kill her?" Gaz shook her head. Zim looked back toward his base.

"It's part of the law, both Slorgaks are to be put down." Zim glanced over at her warily. "Do you still want to come?" Gaz sighed.

"Yea. we just have to be careful I guess. None of that overprotective junk you do!"

"Is it wrong to care for my mate?" Zim scowled.

"Well APPARENTLY!" Gaz snapped. "If somebody _looks_ at me wrong you go berserk!"

"You belong to Zim!" He snapped, scowling. "Of course I'm not going to let any _filthy_ human stink-beast get their hands on you."

"Whatever. Just keep it together when we get there." Gaz crossed her arms and sank in her seat. "I don't wanna get killed because you can't handle someone bumping into me."

"Nothing." Zim growled. "Is going to happen to you. Not while Zim is here. No one will touch my love-pig. No ONE!"

Gaz shook her head and leaned over to give Zim a quick peck on the cheek. Zim's antennae perked up and he smirked.

"Whatever. So what's the plan?" Gaz sat back in her seat with her arms crossed.

"We will wait until night, when the humans have stopped looking for me. Then, we will sneak into the base, gather supplies and destroy the base. The last thing we need is for _humans_ to access Irken technology." He sneered, nearing the space base.

"How much are we going to be able to fit on this thing?" Gaz looked behind her, there wasn't much room with all of them.

"We'll have to use the compact storage container I gave you. But only for essentials! Food, clothes," Zim shivered. " _Water."_ He growled.

"Fine. Wake me when we have to go." Gaz snuggled into her seat and put her feet up. Zim scowled and began poking and prodding at her face.

"There will be no sleeping, Gaz-love." He said, still poking her. "Preparations must be made on both ends. I would need your assistance."

"With _what_?" She finally snapped, knocking his hand away angrily. "You hate it when I touch your stuff."

"True." He nodded. "Which is why you will be watching GIR while _I_ touch my stuff."

"Seriously?" She groaned, looking back at GIR, who was hanging on Mini-moose upside down while Mini-moose floated in little circles.

"I am _very_ serious. As much as I hate when _you_ touch highly important Irken technology." He shoved her feet off of his control panel, which earned him another dark glare. "I _loathe_ when GIR touches it. He will need supervision so he does not cause unnecessary setbacks. My Tallest are expecting me."

"Can't the moose watch him?" She looked out the window. An opening in the base unveiled as they approached, the Voot slowed to a crawl as Zim lined the ship into a little room. The opening closed behind them and the whole ship jolted to a halt and shutdown.

"Mini-moose does watch him. However GIR is not a one man job." Zim scowled back at the playful pair as the windshield opened up. GIR immediately sprung from the Voot and began flying around the docking station on top of Mini-moose. Zim followed and turned to wait for Gaz. "Mini-moose will most likely keep him entertained, all you have to do is watch him, just in case."

"Fine." She grumbled, hopping out of the Voot and brushing past Zim to follow GIR and Mini-moose out of the little room with her hands in her pockets.

"I will find you when we're ready to go." Zim said, tailing her out and turning down a different hallway.

* * *

"GAZ-BEAST!" Zim called down the hallways, unable to find her. Night has fallen on Earth and time was of the essence. It has also been unnaturally quiet since he had last seen her with GIR. He couldn't help but worry his equipment was in danger somehow. He walked down the hallways, automatic doors opening as he approached. He took quick looks inside before continuing his search.

"GAZ!" He called again, another door opened beside him and he stopped, raising an eyebrow. Gaz was sitting against the wall with her game device. Mini-moose was floating around the room and a large metal case wiggled beside her.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, Gaz didn't look up as he approached.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? You're supposed to be watching GIR! Where is he?" Gaz reached over to pat the wiggling metal box. Zim raised an eyebrow and tapped the box with his foot.

"Why haven't I ever thought of that?"

"Cause you're dumb." Gaz replied getting up. "We ready?"

Zim scowled at Gaz as she approached. " How DARE you insult your Zim! I most _certainly_ am not dumb!" Zim waved a finger at Gaz as she stood leaning on one leg, only halfway listening, with a smirk on her face. "It is _I_ who is the superior species! For you to even INSINUATE otherwise!-"

"Don't we have to go?" Gaz asked impatiently, Zim's extra words caught in his throat and he dropped his hands. Growling, he stepped out of the room.

"Make sure he doesn't get out of there." Gaz ordered the moose before following him.

"Nyah!" Mini-moose agreed and floated down to sit on the wiggling box.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Once Zim entered the atmosphere he cloaked the Voot, so he would not be seen by any humans still looking for him.

"Computer, are there any life forms in or around the base?" He asked.

"Positive." The AI responded. "One life form detected."

"How much do you want to bet that's Dib?" Gaz asked. Zim tensed and flattened his antennae threateningly.

"I hope it is." He hissed, gripping his wheel.

"What are you going to do?" Gaz raised an eyebrow. Zim ground his teeth.

"Nothing he hasn't tried."

"Don't do anything stupid, Zim. He's still my brother."

"He tried to have me killed Gaz!" Zim snapped. "He exposed me! I could be getting dissected right now." Zim shivered in his seat.

"Yea Zim, he almost killed me too." She shot back. "I'm not saying I'm not mad at him. I'm gonna beat the shit out of him if he _is_ there. Just don't kill him. That's all I ask."

"I don't want to promise that." He growled.

"Well if you don't, I'll crack your skull! So do it anyway!" Gaz snapped back. Zim's antennae twitched as he flew above the house. Typing in familiar controls, the roof of the house opened up, Zim flew in, landed, and the roof closed back up again in one swift movement. The windshield opened up and Zim hopped out, heading straight for the elevator.

"Zim!" Gaz barked at him. Zim continued without a word. Gaz jumped out of the Voot and ran after him, just barely catching him in the elevator.

"Just do this for me." Gaz asked, not looking at him. Zim flicked his eyes over at her and scowled in the other direction.

"Just remember to gather supplies." He grumbled as the elevator opened up in the kitchen. Zim stepped out with his hands in fists. Gaz followed behind him, looking around the living room. Dib was nowhere to be seen. Gaz shrugged and began looking through the fridge, which was still filled with dirt. She dug in the fridge while Zim paced around the living room, searching.

"Computer, open up Gaz's room." Zim demanded. Quickly, the couch disappeared under the floor and the monkey painting rose. Gaz's bedroom door opened and Zim walked in, still looking around. Also, nothing. Zim growled under his breath and grabbed for the little cube on Gaz's desk with the button on it and walked back out into the kitchen. Gaz had pulled out a few more apples, bread and sandwich stuff, granola bars, and a large box of cereal.

"Will that be enough? How far is Erk?" Gaz asked, cleaning more dirt covered food.

" _Irk_ isa few months away, in Earth time." He leaned on the wall.

"Where's that one food place you talked about? Where you got those snacks the other day?" Zim scowled and turned away.

"I'd rather not go to Foodcourtia." He grumbled. That's the last thing he needed, for Sizz-Lorr to kidnap him again and keep his Tallest waiting.

"Well we might have to! I don't have a lot of food!" Gaz shut the fridge and gathered her clean food together. Zim dropped the box on the floor so the button faced down. The box popped to its larger size and Gaz began packing it up.

"I'm gonna need water too. Lots of water." Zim shivered.

"I know. Just don't spill any of it." He turned around and walked away again. Gaz glared.

"Quit looking for him! He probably has some dumb entrance planned. He'll pop up soon." Gaz threw in her sandwich supplies and turned to her wattle bottles, she had a crate of water bottles she lifted on the counter and began filling empty ones. Zim crossed his arms and sat back on the couch.

"Computer?" ZIm called. "Is Opera-"

"Whaaaat?" The AI groaned.

"I WAS ABOUT TO SPEAK!" Zim shouted, snapping up on the couch. "Is Operation I-24 ready to be deployed?"

"You mean Operation failure?" The computer stated smugly. Zim sighed.

"Yes. Operation failure." He hissed.

"Operation failure ready to begin. Begin countdown?" A large clock opened up up the ceiling, the timer read '2:00'.

"Not yet, on my command." Zim waved it off. The timer closed back into the ceiling. Gaz tossed the last of her water bottles into the crate, shrunk her box of food, and stuffed it in her pocket. Holding the crate of water on her hip, she walked into the living room.

"Ready?"

Zim nodded and got up off the couch. "Ready."

"We're gonna have to go-"

"You're not going anywhere." A dumb voice called from around a corner. Gaz sighed and put her crate of water down. Dib emerged out of the shadows with a hateful look on his big head.

"I've been waiting for you." Dib started, Zim moved to step forward but Gaz shoved him aside. "It's fitting really. The final showdown. Two enemies, Earth and-" Dib stopped short as Gaz punched him hard in the face, knocking him clean to the ground.

"OH! God Gaz! What the hell? I Oof-!" Gaz kicked him in the gut, several times.

"You just had to do it didn't you?" She yelled, giving him one more quick kick. "You just had to _fucking_ do it!" Dib coughed.

"I'm not gonna apologize for it Gaz!" He said, trying sitting up only for Gaz to push him over.

"I don't give a shit if you do apologize! You fucked up big time this time, Dib!" She kicked him again. Dib looked up rubbing his jaw. He wiped away the blood dripping from his nose.

"For what Gaz? Saving the Earth?" Dib got up, his nose dripping again. "Exiling your _murderous,_ alien boyfriend?" Zim matched Dib's hateful look, flattening his antennae.

" _AND_ your own _SISTER!"_ She screamed pushing him back again, but Dib quickly regained his balance.

"What do you mean?" Dib stared her down, clearly confused.

"You're so _stupid_! What? Did you think once you exposed Zim he would leave, I'd move back in, and we'd all be a _big, happy_ family again?" She mocked, throwing her hands around. "Hell, maybe Dad will start giving a fuck! And _mom_ will come home!" Dib slowly shook his head.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm going with him you idiot." She snapped. Dib froze, his eyes widening.

"You… Y-you... _what_?"

"Zim's taking me to Erk with him." Gaz said slowly.

"Irk." Zim corrected.

" _Not_ the time." Gaz growled, shooting him a glare. Zim shut his mouth quickly. Dib shook his head again.

"You... You're leaving?" Dib felt his stomach drop to the floor, heavy deja vu surrounded him, and his head felt dizzy. "You can't leave! What about-"

"Don't try to talk me out of this, Dib. It's happening." Gaz cut. Dib fell silent, his thoughts racing around his own big head.

 _What have I done? Gaz is leaving Earth? I'm never going to see her again. What is she going to do on Irk? What are Zim's leaders going to-_

… _**Zim**_ …

 _Zim is taking her away from me again. This time, it's for good._

"You…" Dib's gaze shifted to Zim, " _You_!" Dib pushed Gaz aside and stomped to face Zim with all of his pent up fury.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" He shoved Zim backwards, hard. Zim quickly regained his composer and stood tall, trying to be threatening, but Dib had lost all control. He finally snapped. "THIS _NEVER_ WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU KEPT YOUR GRUBBY, ALIEN CLAWS OFF MY SISTER!"

"No Dib. It's your fault." Gaz grabbed onto Dib's arm and whipped him around pointing a threatening finger at him. "It's your fault I left home. And it's your fault I'm leaving the planet."

Dib yanked his arm back and took hers, matching her glare.

"If you think I'm letting you go with that green, _cockroach-"_ Gaz tried pulling her arm away, but Dib's hand was firm. Zim growled and yanked Dib away from her, standing in front of her protectively, his back arched and his antennae were flat against his head, his claws curling into fists.

"I have had enough of your insolent, _noxious_ behavior. You have lost _all_ of your chances stink-worm." Zim took a step forward but Dib stood strong. "Because of you I could have lost my life, my invader status, and my mate on _multiple_ occasions."

"DO NOT _FUCKING_ CALL HER THAT, YOU _SICK_ PSYCHOPATH!" Dib exploded with anger, sending a hard punch straight into Zim's face. Gaz backed up into the couch as Zim and Dib went into a violent frenzy. Punches and claws went flying, growls and curses shot back and forth. Dib had Zim on the floor beating in his face, then Zim kicked him off and into the wall and extended his metal legs.

"Stop!" Gaz yelled, trying to stand between them but Zim jumped aside, slashing at Dib who rolled out of the way. Zim's legs tore into his wallpaper with perfect ease and spun to slash at him again. Dib threw a small side table at Zim who smacked it away, it smashed into the wall and shattered.

"Knock it off!" She yelled again, backing off away from the fight. They ignored her pleas, continuing to try and kill each other. Zim thrust his legs at Dib, who barely escaped with a deep slice in his leg. Dib retaliated by throwing more objects at his overpowered foe. Zim lunged for Dib again, pinning his jacket to the wall, Dib threw another punch at Zim, only succeeding in allowing Zim to pin his other arm to the wall. Zim aimed a leg at Dib's chest, ready to finally end their feud.

"ZIM!" Gaz shrieked. Zim gave her a glance and froze. Gaz had a water bottle in one hand and the cap in the other. Zim and Gaz glared at each other, daring the other to make a move, while Dib breathed heavily in Zim's grasp. Finally, Zim lowered his leg but kept Dib pinned, he turned his deadly, ruby glare back at him, raising his leg again at his face.

"Follow us." Zim pressed the sharp tip on his cheek and Dib flinched back. "I _want_ you to."

Zim dropped Dib onto the floor, retracting his legs into his PAK. Gaz screwed the water bottle cap back on as Zim stomped out of the room to the elevator, casting a quick scowl at Gaz. Dib looked up from the ground at his sister, tears welling in his eyes.

"Please, Gaz. Please don't leave." Gaz stared down at him, unmoving. Dib tried getting up, but the cut in his leg kept him on the ground. Gaz sighed and moved to help him up.

"We're blowing up the base. Get out of here, quick." Dib choked back a sob, half from pain, half from remorse as Gaz helped him limp to the door. Dib leaned on the door frame, without her support.

"So, this is goodbye?" He asked, looking back at Gaz. She nodded.

"This is what I want." She said simply. Dib looked away and nodded. Gaz hugged him tight around the neck for a short second, almost knocking Dib over, before turning away and walking toward the kitchen, grabbing her supplies and heading for the elevator after Zim.

"Beginning countdown for Operation Failure. T-minus 2:00 minutes. The computer piped up. The large clock on the ceiling unveiled itself again, counting down. Gaz stood in the elevator and turned back toward Dib. He was still in the doorway watching her solemnly. He gave a short wave, she waved back as the elevator took her up.

Zim was sitting in the running Voot with his arms crossed. Gaz hopped in beside him and without a word, they took off. As they were leaving the atmosphere Gaz took one last look down at Earth, just in time for the base to blow up in a huge fiery explosion.

 _Goodbye_

* * *

 _I'm sorry XD please don't hate me._

 _I think this is a fitting goodbye for Gaz and Dib. Pretty heart wrenching, I know, but fitting with Gaz's emotional constipation. More chapters to come soon! Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!_


	9. Chapter 8

_Sorry these chapters have been a little scarce, I've had a little bit of a block going. I should be fine now though, so I'll continue posting as much as I can. Also, no... Dib did not die. That might have been a little unclear, so no. He's still alive. I might add something for him somewhere, but I kinda just want to leave it like it is._

 _Anyway! Please enjoy this chapter! Thank you for sticking around this long!_

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

"DOOM! Doom doom doomdoom! DOOM DOOM! Doomydoomy, doom doom doom doom! DOOM! DOOM! DOOMY DOOM DOOM! Doom doom doom doom doom doom! Doom! Doom doom dooom!"

"If. You. Don't shut him up. _Now."_ Gaz shook with anger as GIR sang his happy song of doom. "I will rip him apart, starting with his stupid VOICE BOX!."

"I can't, he won't stop until it's over." Zim glared at the robot, with his antennae covered.

"DOOM! DOOM DOOM DOOM!"

"How long does it last?" Gaz snapped, it had already been an hour since they left the base for Irk. An hour of merciless torture.

"doom doom doom DOOM DOOM DOOM!"

"Six months."

"SIX _MONTHS_?" Gaz shrieked. She grabbed onto the front of Zim's shirt and pulled him in just an inch from her face. A deadly fire burning in her amber eyes. "End it. Now."

"I can't!"

"Doom doom doomy doomy doom doom!"

"You better, or there's a water bottle with your name on it."

"You think I haven't tried?" Zim pulled his shirt back and put his hands back on the controls. "You think I _enjoyed_ this for six months?"

"DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM! DOOM DOOM DOOM!"

"The only thing you _can_ do is wait it out." He groaned, his head throbbing. Suddenly GIR went quiet. She looked back at him, he sat there motionless, cyan eyes glowing with a dull stupidity. He appears to be done. Gaz breathed a heavy sigh of relief and laid her head back against the chair, but Zim just shook his head.

"DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM! DOOM!"

"I'M GONNA KILL HIM!" Gaz shot out of her seat and tried to go into the back where the little robot sat with complete, jovial, innocence. Zim quickly caught her before she could even touch him.

"He is valuable Irken technology!" He rationalized, struggling to hold her.

"Don't care! I'm gonna rip his head off!" Gaz flailed for the robot but Zim held her at bay.

"Doom doom doom!"

"Gaz-beast! NO!" He commanded, still struggling with her.

"DOOM!"

"I'M NOT LISTENING TO THIS FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS!" She screamed desperately reaching for GIR.

"Irk is only 3 months away!" He begged. Gaz only struggled harder.

"Let me go!" She fought, and fought to no avail.

"Sit down!" He pulled her back to try and force her into the chair.

"Fine!" She yanked herself away from him, straightening her dress out. "Just let me try something." She stomped over to him, pulling her food box out of her pocket and pressing the button. It expanded and she opened it up, grabbing a water bottle and an apple.

"DOOM doom DOOM doom DOOM doom!" GIR shrieked as Gaz grabbed him by the antennae and threw him in the box, shutting it and pressing the button. The box shrunk, with GIR in it. Immediately, the singing stopped, it was silent in the Voot and both parties sighed. Gaz slumped back into her seat, taking a swig from her water bottle.

"You're welcome." She cut, biting her apple. Zim nodded.

"So we're going to the food planet, right?" Zim scowled, looking forward.

"We can't."

"Why not?"

"The Great Foodening might still be in progress."

"The what?" Gaz raised an eyebrow. Zim rolled his eyes.

"The Great Foodening is an event on Foodcourtia. It's a rush that lasts 20 years. The snacking is so powerful and intense the gravitational pull on the planet is so strong, nobody can leave. I'm _not_ getting stuck there. Especially with Sizz-Lorr hunting me."

"Sizz-Lorr? You're not making sense."

"It doesn't matter!" He snapped. "I'm not going!"

"I don't have a lot of food Zim. What else are we going to do?" Zim thought for a moment.

"How long can a human go without food?" Gaz scowled.

"I don't know, two, three weeks."

Zim scowled, disappointed with the answer.

 _Fragile humans._

With as much as brought she could probably survive the 3 month journey, but she would be hungry a lot. A hungry Gaz is not an enjoyable travel partner.."Fine. I'm not going with you though." He grumbled, turning the Voot in the direction of Foodcourtia.

"How am I going to figure out what I can and can't eat?" Gaz questioned.

"I'll show you some places to go."

"This food better not poison me." Gaz slumped back in her seat, arms crossed.

"You'll be fine. Bring it to me before you eat it." He sat back in his seat, it wasn't a long journey to Foodcourtia, Sizz-Lorr made the journey within a half hour at top speed. Zim switched it to auto pilot and glanced at Gaz, who stared out the window. His antennae twitched with a thought that had bothered him since he heard of it.

"Gaz-love?"

"Hm?"

"Why haven't I ever seen your mother?"

Gaz tensed up, but didn't look at him. Zim raised an antennae and moved closer to her.

"Gaz? Did you he-"

"I heard you." She cut with a dry anger in her voice.

"Well? Why haven't I-"

"I _don't_ want to talk about it." She snapped, still not looking at him. Zim dropped his antennae, but continued to question her.

"From what I know about humans, they have a father, and a mother. I've seen other humans with mothers. Why haven't I seen yours?"

"Drop it Zim." She whipped around to glare darkly at him. He still continued.

"But… I know you have one. You even told the Dib that she might 'come home'. Where is she?"

Gaz looked back out the window to hide the faint hint of tears in her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not?" Zim leaned over to her.

"You wouldn't understand." She tilted her head away from his prying eyes.

"I would like to try." He pressed, leaning farther, catching sight of a stray tear. His antennae pricked up. "Are you alright?"

Gaz wiped her tears away. "I'm _fine."_

"No, you're not, you're leaking. You only leak when you're upset." Zim scooted next to her and put his hand on her arm.

"Just-!" She turned around, snapping her arm away. Zim backed off immediately, expecting pain, but Gaz dropped her arm and sighed.

 _Stupid Zim._ She thought sadly. Knowing he'll never shut up about it until she told him, she took a deep breath.

"I don't know where she is. Okay?" She leaned on the window again. Zim raised an eyebrow, lowering his guard again.

"Why not?" Gaz sighed again and rubbed her face. She hasn't thought of her mother in years.

"She left us." She turned to Zim, who sat, confused. "I was little when it happened. She and my dad weren't getting along anymore. So she left."

It wasn't exactly the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie. Gaz's dad was so immersed in his science, he never payed attention to her mother anymore. Gaz grew up listening to them fight about how he was never home. It was always the same excuses:

 _They needed me at the labs._

 _I'm so close to a breakthrough!_

 _I promise I'll spend next weekend off with you and the kids._

Of course, he never did. Eventually Mom got sick of it. One night Gaz woke up to her mother's pale, tear stained face telling her that she loved her. Gaz being about 6, she didn't think much of it, until the next morning when she found her Dad sitting at the kitchen table crying with a bunched up note in his hand.

She never saw her again.

Gaz broke away from her memories and looked up at Zim, who didn't say anything, only stared at her and blinked. She shook her head and leaned back on the window. After a moment of silence, Zim wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her head, messing up her hair.

"Zim!" She snapped, trying to wiggle away. "Wh-"

"There there, love-pig." He consoled, petting her head. She relaxed and let it happen. "Your Zim is here."

Gaz smirked. She had long grown cold from the subject of her mom, so she didn't really care much anymore. It still hurt once in awhile, once Dad had shown her and Dib a picture of her. Gaz looked almost exactly like her. Purple hair, pale skin, amber eyes, only older and with a smile that didn't scare everyone away.

"No more leaking." He cooed, still petting her head. Gaz sighed and tried tearing herself away, but Zim stayed firm, determined to comfort his love-pig.

"Alright Zim. I'm better now. Let me go."

"NEVER! I must know for SURE that my beloved mate feels _no_ strife!" He nuzzled, pet, and squeezed harder.

"Zim!" Gaz laughed, pushing him away. "I'm fine, alright? It happened a long time ago."

"You're sure?" He raised an eyebrow, retreating back to his chair. She nodded, leaning back and fixing her hair.

"Yea, I'm fine. Thanks though." Zim nodded, smiling

"Of course love-pig." Gaz groaned.

" _Please_ , stop calling me that." She urged. Zim shook his head.

" _Girlfriend_ , does not feel like the best term."

"And _love-pig_ does?" She snapped back. "Where did you even hear that? Who calls people that?"

"Zim does." He smirked. She groaned again, which was entertaining for Zim.

"Please. _Anything_ else _._ Just not love-pig."

"How about… romance-monkey?" He smirked. Gaz growled.

"No."

"You said _anything_." He taunted.

"Not that." She threatened.

"Sweetness?" He mocked, smiling at her obvious anger.

"No."

"Demon-mate?"

"Stop."

"Earth princess?" He clasped his hands together by his face and grinned stupidly, Gaz just shook her head.

"You're so dumb."

"My little purple pigeon?" He chuckled, poking her forehead

"Zim!" She laughed, pushing him over. He poked her face again and she slapped it away.

"Fine, if you get to call me love-pig, I get to call you… space-bug." She snickered as Zim's playful smile was replaced by an irritated frown, his antennae twitched.

"I am not a bug." He corrected, clearly not amused.

"And _I'm_ not a pig!"

Zim was silent for a moment. "Fine. I will no longer call you love-pig."

"Thank you." She nodded.

"Proximity warning: Planet ahead." The computer stated and both of them looked ahead.

Gaz had never seen a more obnoxiously advertised, brightly colorful place in her whole lifetime. It was a huge, swirly, purple planet, almost completely surrounded with bright flashing advertisements for different food places Gaz could barely pronounce. The biggest sign of them all read ' FOODCOURTIA: Yes, we're open'. Gaz raised an eyebrow, but Zim only scowled. They floated by a sign that read 'Days til The Great Foodening: 9' and Zim breathed a sigh of relief.

 _All they had to do was get Gaz food, and leave. Easy._

Gaz watched outside the window as they passes more and more bright flashing food signs, it was like nothing she's ever seen before, ships of all sizes and shapes flew in and out of the giant snacking planet. As she watched it all go by, Zim glanced at her and smirked at her bewilderment.

 _Simple human…_

Soon they broke the atmosphere and Gaz's eyes widened, there wasn't free spot on the entire planet, it was covered in huge metal buildings, and crawling with aliens stuffing their faces, or at least what _resembled_ faces. The brightly colored signs were more flamboyant than in space, most of them were in strange alien lettering. Disturbing looking faces and mascots littered the metal buildings below, some moved, some just made sounds. A courtyard opened up, surrounded with more buildings, and a few places Gaz could pronounce. There was a large 'Parking' sign that Zim choose to enter.

"So… All of this is Irken food?" She finally asked as Zim flew into a large parking building.

"Not necessarily, some of it's from Vort, some of it's from Plookesia, some from Boodie Nen, Varl Woo, Thonusnus, Rizveon, Adulendreanovan,-."

"Okay, okay. I get it." Gaz interrupted, already lost. "Soo… Where do you think I should go?" Zim thought as he landed his Voot.

"I would go to either… a Vort restaurant, or an Irken one." He opened the Voot and Gaz hopped out. "Or whatever looks good. I'll meet you back here in one Earth hour." He waved her off.

"And remember! You don't know me! You've never heard of me!" He began raising off the ground.

"Why?" Gaz called up.

"REASONS!" He shouted down, lifting off and leaving the garage. Gaz looked around for some kind of exit, and began walking out.

* * *

 _Awwwww shit! They're on Foodcourtia! What's gonna happen next?_

 _Also, on the subject of Gaz's mother. I realize this is probably not what happened, but the show left it to interpretation. Some say she died, some say she was a scientist alongside Membrane. I say she got sick of his shit and left. Not the most exciting way to go, but I originally didn't know I was going to go into this. I thought of it when I was trying to think of dialogue between Earth and Foodcourtia. All I had to go on was "Maybe mom will come home."_

 _Originally I was going to have her fight for custody of the kids, but that wouldn't really be her just leaving like I made it sound in the last chapter. I still think it turned out well._

 _Hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to review!_


	10. Chapter 9

_I. Am so sorry. I've been beating myself up for not writing since the first week I stopped. I feel bad, but it all started because I started playing Spore. "Ill write later, tomorrow, Wednesday, etc.". Even when I tried to sit down to write, I couldn't get anything good down or I'd just be staring at the same line for hours. Nothing came to me and the guilt just kept building. I hope you enjoy what I have, sorry if the end is a little rushed. I mostly wanted to get this chapter out. I will be writing more later, if I finish the chapter I'll post it today as an apology._

 _Please enjoy! Don't forget to review!_

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

Gaz walked quietly through the courtyard, surrounded by aliens. She recognized some of them were Irkens, or Vortians, but everything else wasn't even close to recognizable. Most of the Irkens were very short, at differing levels of short, but still only child sized, about how Zim was when he first arrived on Earth. Most had pink or ruby eyes like Zim, others had purple or blue. She noticed that the more feminine looking ones had curled antennae, while the masculine ones had straight.

The Vortians all came in varying shades of blue, green, or purple, they were all short too. Other aliens, more Gaz's height, were just as freaky, or more. A tall bug creature hunched over themself talking with a little green blob man with a tuft of orange hair, drooling pink goo brushed past Gaz. Shorter green aliens with a screw coming out of their heads purposely walked around Gaz, staring and murmuring. She tried to ignore them, She noticed other aliens were doing the same and she stifled a growl. According to the Vortian she talked to on Earth, Gaz was considered 'gross looking'. She stuck her hands in her pockets and continued pushing through aliens, looking around for a place to eat.

While she wasn't looking, Gaz walked straight through two, tall, green aliens, one with blue and one with green eyes. The blue eyed alien glared down at Gaz and hunched over to speak in her face.

"Watch where you're going weeeaaasel!" Gaz wiped spit off her face and returned his glare.

"Fuck off creep." She turned to walk away but the green eyed alien was behind her, staring awkwardly and making a long, strained noise, twitching it's hands as it struggled to make a word.

"YEAH! Earth weasel! Watch where you're going!"

"Wait. You guys know I'm from Earth?" She looked back at the blue eyed alien. They both looked almost exactly the same, only differing in eye color. They had skinny arms and legs, layered with a greenish exoskeleton. They hung their two fingered hands close to their chests like a praying mantis and their legs bent in two places like a bird. They both hunched over, examining Gaz.

"Of course you're from Earth!" The blue eyed one snapped.

"We know our aaaliens, don't we Pa?" the green one shouted in Gaz's ear behind her.

"We're collectors." The blue one smiled, proudly. "We've had an Earth weasel before, haven't we now?"

"Sure did!"

"I'm not a weasel. I'm a human." Gaz growled stepping back from in between them both. The blue one glared and began furiously shaking his head at her.

"No no no no no no. Yoooooooouuu." He pointed at Gaz. "Are obviously a weasel."

"We had a human once too!" The green one smiled. "He had a dog and everything!"

"Do you think we don't know a _weasel_ when we see one?" He bent down at a growling Gaz and raised an eyebrow, twitching his mantis hand at her.

"Fine. Whatever. Do you guys know if there's any Irken restaurants around here?"

They both stopped to think, which was clearly a difficult process, as they began rubbing their temples and groaning. Gaz crossed her arms and waited.

"Hey…" The green one finally said. "Hey! Hey Pa!"

"Mmmmmmmyeah?"

"We could capture this weasel! And then we'd have a weasel again!"

"What?" Gaz demanded.

"Hey….." The blue one bent to look at her again, silently staring for a few seconds. "Hey yeah!"

The green one bent down to look at her as well, poking at her cheek. "This would make a fine specimen in our collection."

"I'm not going _anywhere_ with you!" Gaz slapped it's hand away, the green one whimpered and hid behind it's friend, rubbing his hand.

"Brilliant, yes, brilliant." The blue one nodded, turning to the green one. "Alright, so what's the plan?"

"Ehhhhh. The plan for what?"

"I can hear you." Gaz pointed out as they talked.

"The plan to capture the weeeeeasel!"

 _Idiots._ Gaz sighed.

"Oh. Well what about this!" The green onee began, hunching closer to whisper, not very quietly. "What if we dressed like _weasels_. Eh?"

"Brilliant. Brilliant. Then what?" The blue one nodded. Gaz shook her head and began stepping away, quietly.

" _Then_ I'll offer it some juice. As bait, see?"

Gaz walked away, unnoticed as they planned for her capture, once again searching for food.

"Oi! The weasel escaped!" She heard one of them shout, she looked back for a second as they looked around for her, quickly losing interest and carrying on with their day. Gaz shrugged and looked forward, stopping in her tracks as a large, orange, cyclops in blue overalls waddled slowly by her. She watched it stomp into a large green store, seeming to jiggle with every step, as it passed through some kind of blue force field.

Gaz raised an eyebrow, staring up at the giant green monster with fat cheeks and a tall red hat on top of the green building.

'Shloogourghs Flavor Monster' she read, walking toward the door. Gaz looked up at some blinking screens at the door, flashing with the name of the store and then shifting into a wanted picture… of Zim.

' _Reasons'_. Gaz remembered, smirking. _That should be an interesting story._ She looked at the blue force field that acted as a door to the shop. Cautiously, she raised her hand and let it pass through the force field. When she felt nothing she walked straight through.

Taking a look around the restaurant, it reminded her of a McMeaties. Large, brightly colored food signs scattered the walls and ceiling. The same green monster mascot hung above the front counter and the menu. Booths filled with little groups of aliens lined the sides of the store. There was a little group of Vortians, a blue, diamond alien, a family of purple creatures, and an Irken with bright orange eyes sitting on a large stack of books, it was far smaller than the other Irkens and Gaz almost thought it was cute. As she walked through, a child in the purple family watched her every move with wide, unbelieving eyes.

"Momma it's weird!" He shouted, pointing. Gaz growled, walking toward the front counter, which was manned by a little Irken wearing an oversized red fez hat with a yellow 'S', red goggles, and a white apron. Gaz stood behind the orange cyclops as he ordered.

"Welcome to ShlOOgorgh's! My name is GashlOOg! May I take your order?"

"Ummmmm… I'll have…." The cyclops stared at the menu, written in Irken, and began drooling a little. Gaz sighed and tapped her foot, trying not to notice the kid still pointing at her.

"I'll have… A deep fried mooshminkey… aaaannnnnndd… a jumbofied sack of Vort dogs."

"Very good, Sir!" Gashloog typed happily into his register. "We'll have that ready for in just-"

Suddenly muffled voices shouted behind the wall Gaz assumed was the kitchen, something crashed to the floor.

"Gashloog! We need you back here!" Someone called.

"I'm with a customer!" He called back. The voices got louder, something else was knocked over. All the customers were looking toward the front.

"NOW!" They called again. Gashloog nervously nodded at the cyclops.

"I'll be just a minute." Then he ran back behind the wall, apparently stepping off some kind of crate as he got much shorter, the cyclops waddled into a booth and Gaz stepped up to the counter.

"-ur hands off me!" Someone else shouted. Gaz's head snapped up just as someone was shoved into the front, catching themself on the counter in front of Gaz. Their eyes met and widened.

"Gaz?"

"Zim?"

"ZIM!" Someone shouted, coming out from behind the wall. It was a huge, wide Irken with angry purple eyes, dressed in a dirty white apron. Zim looked back for a second before leaping over the counter, past Gaz, and running for the door. He skidded to a halt just at the edge of the door, falling on the floor.

"No use running Zim. That's the same device as last time!" The large Irken walked through the counter and toward Zim who shot up, looking everywhere for an escape. Gashloog and another employee followed, they quickly surrounded Zim.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Gaz snapped, walking toward them just as they tackled him. "Zim!" She yelled, worried, and began running. The large Irken stood up, holding an angry Zim by the collar, now dressed like the employees. Gaz stopped, confused.

"Now get back to work!" The large Irken reeled back and threw Zim across the room, he landed with a crash just behind the counter. Zim shot up and glared, throwing his fez hat down.

"YOU CAN'T KEEP ME HERE, SIZZ-LORR!" He shouted, hopping over the counter and meeting the large Irken face to face.

"I've already called the Tallest, when they hear about this they'-"

"I said, GET BACK TO WORK!" Sizz-Lorr picked Zim up again and threw him behind the counter. Zim, again, hopped over to meet him.

"They're expecting me at Irk! I _DEMAND_ you let me go at once!" Sizz-Lorr responded by picking him up again and dragging him back behind the counter. Zim struggled against his collar and kicked his feet. Customers watched in awe, even the little purple child stared. The employees followed.

"We've already been through this, Zim." Sizz-Lorr groaned, annoyed.

"Hey!" Gaz yelled. Sizz-Lorr stopped and looked at her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Please excuse this disruption, sir. Just a rogue employee." Sizz-Lorr turned back to the counter. Zim struggled more, now reaching for Sizz-Lorr.

"Why you little-!" He yelled, thrashing.

"I mean what are you doing to him?" Gaz snapped, gaining his attention again.

"We've been looking for this one. He's escaped his post twice now. I'm only putting him back to work." Sizz-Lorr set Zim down behind the counter,

"Now take this young man's order!" Sizz-Lorr demanded, earning a dark glare and growl from Zim before he went back behind the wall. Gaz walked up to the counter to question Zim, who had his arms crossed like a pouty child.

"Zim, what's with the outfit? And the wanted posters?" She whispered, leaning over the counter.

"Shhh!" He threw his finger up to hush her. "You don't know me." Zim turned away.

"You're a frycook?" Gaz leaned further to catch his eye.

"No! Shhhh!" He glared and hushed again.

"Zim, what's going on?" Gaz demanded, seriously. Zim whipped around to glare at her again, taking a deep breath.

"Gaz! Shhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Zim!" Sizz-Lorr stepped out from behind the wall. "Stop chatting with the customer and take his order!"

"For the last time, I REFUSE!" Zim scowled at Sizz- Lorr, with his arms still crossed disobediently.

"Then go mop the floors!" Sizz-Lorr shoved cleaning tools into his hands and shoved Zim out from behind the counter and onto the floor.

"If you don't finish by the lunch rush you'll be on bathroom duty for the next month!" He gave Zim a final glare and disappeared behind the wall again. Zim gave a humph as he got up off the floor and began cleaning. Gaz sat in the booth beside him, watching him mop the floors.

"You gonna tell me what's going on?" She asked impatiently. Zim growled at her and moved closer, still mopping.

"This is my banishment." He groaned, avoiding her eyes, clearly embarrassed.

"Your banishment?" Gaz repeated, wide eyed. "What did you do?" Zim stopped to think.

"I don't remember." He continued cleaning. "I think it has something to do with the destruction of half of Irk." he said nonchalantly.

"Seriously?" Gaz asked, surprised. She knew the alien was ruthless and scatterbrained, but the destruction of half of his own planet? She never would have thought him capable.

"Are we still going to Irk?"

"Yes. We just need to escape." Zim cleaned under her booth, finally looking at her.

"That guy said you've escaped before. How did you do it?" Zim stopped and scowled his eyes.

"I'd rather not say." He grimaced.

"Fine. But how do we get out _now_?" Gaz leaned on the table. Zim pointed to the door with the blue force field.

"That door is programmed to read my bio signature. If it senses me leaving, I will explode."

"HE GONNA 'SPLODE MOMMA!" The kid shrieked, now pointing at Zim. They both scowled at the child before continuing. " _Unless_ , I am surrounded by something thick enough for it not to pick up on me. Sizz-Lorr said it was the same door, so that's the plan."

"Something thick? How thick?" Gaz asked. Zim shivered and looked at the large cyclops.

"About that thick." He pointed, turning to mop up farther. Gaz raised an eyebrow, looking from Zim to the cyclops over and over until it clicked.

"Oh Zim, you didn't." She asked, grossed out. Zim scowled at her.

"It was my only option!" He snapped at her. "I'd do it again if I haven't grown so tall. It would never work again."

"That's sick Zim!" She gagged. "Did you- I mean, how'd you even-…"

"I did what I had to." He cut, turning away again.

"Fine, I don't wanna know anyway." She shook her head. "So is that the only way out? Isn't there another door? Or a window?"

"The first time I escaped I walked out of the back door in the break room."

"Does it have that force field thing on it too?"

"It surrounds the whole building." Zim nodded at Gaz just as Sizz-Lorr peaked menacingly around the wall, glaring at Zim. Zim began cleaning faster, with a fake grin on his face and humming a tuneless song. Sizz-Lorr nodded, pleased, and disappeared again. Zim dropped the act and turned back to Gaz.

"So what's the plan? Find something thick?" Gaz asked.

"Or shut down the barrier." Zim nodded.

"How do we do that?"

"Sizz-Lorr keeps the controls on him at all times. It's on his wrist. We'll have to get it away from him somehow."

"You could distract him with something. I can grab it and shut it down then we'll make a run for the ship. Where is it?"

"It's in the back of the restaurant. They captured me when I was trying to leave the parking area."

"Okay. So that's the plan. Get the controls, shut down the barrier, and escape in the ship. Easy."

"Ah HA!" Sizz-Lorr shouted from behind the wall, he stomped out and pointed at Gaz, grabbing Zim by his collar again. "I KNEW you were in cahoots! Zim's not going anywhere! Ever!" Sizz-Lorr began dragging Zim behind the counter again.

"Its bathroom duty for you, you little escapee!" He shouted, disappearing behind the wall.

"NOOOOO! NEVER AGAIN!" Zim screamed. Gaz just sat in the booth and looked around. All the customers, including the pointing child all had their eyes on her. After a moment of awkward silence, everyone returned to their meals and Gaz slumped down in her seat.

 _Nothing gets to be easy, does it?_

* * *

 _Well there you have it, the long awaited chapter 9. I'll try to finish chapter 10 tonight. Once again. So sorry. Hope you enjoyed!_


	11. Chapter 10

_Woo! I'm getting back on track! I've finished this chapter, as well as another one I just have to do a check over for. I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

For the next three days, Zim was forced to do familiar, demeaning tasks. This time, under constant watch from Sizz-Lorr and other employees. Zim was never left alone for even a second, leaving no room for escape. Gaz spent time protecting Zim in any way she could, the customers in the store were hell bent on making Zim's job worse; dumping drinks on the floor, or him, knocking food from his hands, or spilling trash on the floor. Gaz made up for it by terrifying most of them into insanity. She also enjoyed watching him suffer in little ways, including dancing in a monster suit for her or waiting not-so-patiently as the orange cyclops spent hours ordering his food every day. Other times she came and went, exploring the alien planet for alien food, always coming back to Shloogorgh's, and even offering help to lessen Zim's load.

They were in the kitchen now, washing dishes with rags and thin pink gel, with Gashloog keeping a close eye on the pair. A very close eye, as he was standing inches away from Gaz and staring, unblinking, at Zim. Gaz gave him a glare for the third time.

"Do you have to be so close?" She growled at him.

"I am under strict orders not to let Zim leave my sight!" Gashloog repeated like a brainwashed soldier. Gaz rolled her eyes.

"I'm right here _Gashloog_." Zim growled at him, butting in between him and Gaz. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Correct." The Irken nodded, backing up a slight bit. He continued watching the two. Zim would catch him staring, perplexed, at Gaz. Zim growled and inched closer to her, blocking Gashlo og's view of her.

"So... I have a question."

"What?" Zim snapped, wiping the gel off a dish and setting it on the shelf above them.

"What _is_ that?" Gashloog leaned past Zim to raise an antennae at Gaz, who gave him a short scowl.

"She's a human." Zim answered quickly.

"How did you find it?" Gashloog questioned. Zim glared at him and Gaz elbowed him in the gut.

"I was *cough* sent to _her_ planet on a mission from the Tallests. I _was_ going to bring _her_ back to Irk with me."

" _Why?_ " Gashloog raised his antennae. Gaz elbowed Zim again.

"She's my slave. A trophy from my conquest at Earth."

"And the Tallest were gonna let you keep it?" He glared.

" _SHE_." Zim spat, scowling at Gashloog. "Was approved _personally_."

Gashloog glared questioningly, but he nodded to himself.

"What are you gonna use her for?" He crossed his arms, looking perplexed at Gaz. Zim smirked to himself.

"I'll think of something." He grinned. Gaz blushed and hit him in the gut again.

"Not a very obedient slave if you ask me." He pointed out.

"Nobody asked you, _Gashloog."_ Zim groaned, washing more dishes. Sizz-Lorr, back from his break, came around the corner and crossed his arms, watching Zim and Gaz wash the dishes. Zim glared up at him and Sizz-lorr smirked.

"How's the new employee?" He asked Gashloog who saluted.

"Both have been orderly so far."

"Very good. If you keep this up Zim, I'll let you take a minute break. Heavily guarded of course." He chuckled, pleased with himself. Suddenly, another employee ran around from the front of the store, stuttering and pointing.

"S-s-sir? I… I um… n-need you out here."

"What is it?" Sizz-Lorr scowled, the employee only stuttered.

"T-t-t-t, you gotta come see." Then he ran back out of sight, Sizz-Lorr sighed and followed. Zim and Gaz shrugged it off and continued, Gashloog stayed, and stared. Almost as quick as he left, Sizz-Lorr came back around the wall, wide-eyed and also stuttering.

"Uh, Zim, You're free to go." He nodded, wide eyed and typing into his barrier controls. Zim stopped and raised an antennae.

"Wait, what?"

"You're free to go. Leave your uniform and get out."

Zim flattened his antennae and pointed at Sizz-Lorr. "You LIE!"

"Just go up front and see!" Sizz-Lorr left again, Gaz started walking out to the front and stopped. The whole front room was lined with Irken soldiers with alien-looking guns. They all glared at Gaz. Zim quickly followed, grinning ear to ear as soon as he saw them.

One soldier stepped forward to Zim. "Irken Zim. You will come with us."

"Now that's more like it!" He cheered, throwing his uniform down and grinning at a bitter Sizz-Lorr. "I told you the Tallest would come for me!"

"Yea, yea, yea just get out." Sizz-Lorr turned back to the kitchen. Zim proudly saluted the soldier in front and began walking out with him, turning back to Gaz.

"Eh… Come slave! Your master demands you follow!" He commanded nervously, knowing pain will come later. Gaz growled and followed behind him, all the other soldiers following her, with their guns close. Gaz raised an eyebrow but continued. They all left the building, Gaz looked up as hundreds of ships littered the sky, all red Irken ships, varying in size from Zim's Voot, to large plane sized ships. Gaz followed Zim into a larger ship, accompanied by other Irken soldiers standing at either side of Zim and Gaz. She felt a knot in her stomach. The ship lifted into the air and quickly launched out of the atmosphere of Foodcourtia, speeding toward a massive Irken ship, surrounded by other smaller ships.

 _The 'mothership'_. Gaz thought.

"I'll have to thank the Tallest for sending such a heavy fleet for my rescue." Zim nodded, admiring all the soldiers. Gaz caught a glare from one soldier and bit her lip, prodding Zim with her elbow.

"Zim. What going on?"

"Shh." He hushed quickly. "They're taking us aboard The Massive. Follow at my heel, do not speak unless spoken to, and be tolerable." He whispered, not looking at her once. Gaz looked back at the glaring soldiers and folded her hands begrudgingly. In little time, they stopped and guards began flowing back out of the ship, the first soldier motioned for Zim to follow. Zim proudly strode out of the ship, followed by Gaz and more soldiers. Gaz looked around, they were in a docking bay like on Zim's base, only much bigger. Room enough for hundreds of ships. They were being lead through a large door into a metal corridor, and up a slanted hallway. Gaz ground her teeth and followed obediently, and silently.

 _Like a good slave._ She grimaced. _He's lucky I don't wanna die._

Finally, after a few turns down some hallways, the soldiers led Zim and Gaz to a large pair of doors. The first soldier turned to halt them.

"You will wait here until summoned. We must inform the Tallests of your arrival."

"Yes, yes, yes go on." Zim shooed the guard away, rolling his eyes. The guard said nothing, only turned to enter the room through the sliding doors. Zim hopped on his toes, clearly excited.

"I've been gone for so long. The Tallests must have a surprise for me!" ZIm wiggled in anticipation and again Gaz caught sight of a glaring soldier. Everybody was on edge, with their guns close at hand, there was only silence besides Zim's excited squeaks. Gaz leaned over to say something to Zim when the doors slid opened.

Zim straightened proudly and began walking into the room, Gaz and the remaining soldiers followed close behind. It was a large, throne like room, lined up and down with ready Irken soldiers and large windows into space. The whole room was varying shades of either purple or red, the walls, the uniforms, the snacks piled on top of another short, fat, Irken with a table-hat strapped onto his head standing on a raised platform at the end of the room. Sitting beside the sad service drone were the two Tallests, happily munching on snacks when Zim walked in. Sly smiles spread on their faces as he approached. Camera-like devices floated toward Zim, displaying his image on three different screens, another, larger, fourth screen showed a large audience of millions of Irkens, now cheering.

Zim grinned widely, taking it all in. He trotted into the room, waving at the cameras and smiling at his leaders. Gaz looked warily around the room, all eyes were on them, which would be normal for a welcome back party, accept everyone was armed with very serious faces. Two soldiers shut the doors behind them and Gaz's gut twisted tighter, something wasn't right.

"Welcome back Zim." The tall Irken with the red eyes and clothes greeted as Zim approached.

"Thank you my Tallests," Zim stopped at their feet, bowed his head, and wiggled his antennae.

"I see you brought your slave." Red pointed out, smiling. Zim nodded, Gaz leaned on one foot watching Tallest Red smirk at her and Tallest Purple looking slightly disgusted.

"Yes, I thank you again for allowing me to bring her along. And AGAIN for this well deserved party!" Zim turned to the soldiers and the screen of excited Irkens and waved, causing more cheers.

"Oh trust me, Zim," Tallest Purple said, sharing a glance with Tallest Red. "You're getting everything you deserve." Zim turned back to his Tallest, beaming, but Gaz was still watching the surrounding soldiers. She nudged Zim's arm, worried.

"Zim?"

"Seize them!" Tallest Red commanded, and immediately every soldier in the room raised their guns, two launched for Gaz knocking her away from Zim and onto the ground. Zim's eyes widened and moved to help her before three other soldiers grabbed him and pinned him down as well. He struggled for a moment, now angry.

"What is tHE MEANING OF THIS?" He shouted, wiggling to free his pinned arms. Gaz was now furiously thrashing under the soldiers, needing more to come hold her.

"Do you know who I am?" He spat at the soldiers pinning him, now pressing his face into the floor. "Release me now! I am Invader Zim!"

"Hey everybody! He _still_ thinks he's an invader!" Tallest Purple pointed out, laughing. Everyone in the room was now laughing, including the Irkens in the screen. Zim stopped, wide eyed, looking around at the laughing faces around him. Wires fell from the ceiling above him and the soldiers pinning him dragged him up to plug them into his PAK. The wires lifted him in the air just enough for him not to touch the ground. Gaz struggled harder, still pinned.

"Let me go you stupid bugs!" Gaz shouted, thrashing, another soldier was necessary to help pin her as well.

"Silence _female_!"

Zim looked down at Gaz, then at his smirking Tallests who waved off the laughter.

"M-my Tallests?" Zim stuttered, confused.

"Silence!" Tallest Red hushed threateningly. Zim shrank, his antennae twitched.

"FEEF!" Purple called. A small, smeet sized, Irken with bright orange eyes ran from behind the Tallest's raised platform and stopped in front of Zim. He cleared his throat and spoke loudly and clearly in an unnaturally normal voice for his size.

"Food Service Drone Zim. You have been deemed a defective for crimes against the empire and it's people."

Once again, the Irkens in the screen began to cheer. Gaz still thrashed while Zim just watched, confused and a little afraid.

 _Food service drone?_

"Including the murder of two former Tallests, Miyuki and Spork, causing Horrible, Painful Overload Day, part 1 and part 2, blowing up our half of the universe, creating a blob that almost wiped out the universe, escaping your exile on two occasions, hijacking The Massive, short circuiting the Control Brains, blowing power to Devastis, and the destruction of most of Irk during Operation Impending Doom 1."

Gaz stopped struggling and looked up at Zim, he tried to speak, still shocked. "But...but-"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Tallest Red chimed in, standing from his chair and walking toward Zim. "Don't forget Feef! _Food service drone_ Zim here has one more charge."

Tallest Red stooped low in front of Gaz to poke at her cheek. "Being a Slorgak."

Gaz growled and went to bite him, Tallest Red snatched his hand away. The mass of Irkens in the screen uproared in a collective gasp and Red stood up to face one of the cameras.

"As well as his current charges, Zim has deliberately gone against the will of the Control Brains by taking his own mate. A mate of another species, making him not only a defective and a threat to the empire, but a traitor to his own species."

"Disgusting. Makes me sick!" Purple shook his head, reaching for more snacks. Zim was frozen in fear, suspended in the air, he began to stutter nervously.

"N-now my T-t-tallests," He raised his arms in defense, visibly afraid and shaking. "You have it all wrong, Ga- the h-human is… she's just. I would n-n-never disobey the Control Brains."

"Oh? Is that so?" Tallest Red turned smugly to Zim. "Then I suppose you wouldn't mind if we just got rid of her for you?" Tallest Red clicked his tongue and a soldier stepped forward to aim it's gun at Gaz's face, she stopped struggling and glared. Zim's antennae twitched but he stayed silent looking from Gaz to Red. Gaz's throat caught and time seemed to slow with his uncertain face.

 _Zim?_

Tallest Red raised an antennae and turned to the guard who readied its gun. "If you insist."

"Stop!" Zim blurted out, now struggling. Tallest Red raised his hand and the guard lowered his gun, Gaz took a deep sigh. Zim bowed his head in shame and Tallest Red waved off the guard and stood in front of him again.

"That's gross, Zim." He remarked, nodding. Zim dropped his antennae and gave Red a pleading look.

"Don't kill her my Tallest. Please. In the name of our past friendship, I beg you-"

"Our past friendship-?" Red wheezed through his words and began laughing again. Purple gave the soldiers an expectant glare and they laughed as well.

"We were never friends, Zim. Nobody was. Not even the robot arm." Red said, catching his breath, Zim shrunk again. "You were a nuisance as a smeet, you were a nuisance in training, and you're a nuisance now. That's why we sent you to die 10 years ago."

Zim raised his antennae in question, his eyes widened. "Y-you what?"

Tallest Purple leaned forward in his seat and spoke slowly. "We. Sent. You. To. Die. Honestly Zim, did you really think we'd give you an actual mission?"

"' _Please! My_ Taaallest _! Please give me a mission to prove myself as a_ worthy _invader_!'" Red cupped his hands and raised his voice mocking Zim who hung quietly in the air. His antennae dropped low, Gaz watched his heart shatter from down on the floor, her own broke in pity.

"What?" He asked, in barely a whisper.

"You're mission was a death sentence, Zim. We sent you out into space _to die_. You happened upon Earth by chance. You're a _smudge_ on the proud Irken name." Red jabbed a finger at Zim, pleased with himself. "A disappointment. A disgrace. A _defective."_

"The only good you did in your entire existence was making the empire monies selling your transmissions and updates." Purple began snickering to himself. "You remember when he tried to crush Earth with that other planet?" Purple wheezed and laughed harder, almost falling out of his seat, everyone followed, including Red.

"Or- or when he called to thank us for the cheese puff we sent him?" Red laughed, reminiscing with his co-leader. "We sent him all over the place trying to charge it, cause we said it was a _secret_ _weapon_." Everyone began laughing harder, Zim shrank into himself, on the verge of tears.

"STOP IT!" Gaz shouted, hearing enough. She thrashed harder against the guards still holding her down, catching the Tallest's attention. "I'm gonna rip your FUCKING heads off you stupid, green ANTS!" Both Tallests backed off slightly, quickly regaining their threatening composer.

"Muzzle that thing will you?" Red demanded. Gaz glared at the Tallests, none of the soldiers moved to silence her, only looked at one another. Red glared at the immobile soldiers, then at the short, teary-eyed, table-headed Irken by the chairs. "Table-headed Service Drone Skoodge. Get over here and muzzle the female." Skoodge looked surprised for a second and immediately moved to walk over.

"I'll bite your fucking arm off if you so much as TOUCH me!" Gaz threatened, making Skoodge stop. Red glared at Gaz, then Skoodge.

"Now."

Skoodge gulped and nodded, stepping carefully toward Gaz who watched him with a death stare. As Skoodge got closer he tore a shred of his shirt and held it out to Gaz. The soldiers on top of her held her head still while Skoodge tied it on, with difficulty, as Gaz kept trying to bite him.

Red gave Gaz a final, disgusted, stare and turned to Purple. "Let's get this over with."

"Umm, my Tallest?" A soldier called out, stepping from the crowd with a tablet.

"Not now!" Purple snapped at the drone, making him retreat. Red turned his attention back to Zim who, this whole time, has been staring off into space with a vacant look. Red looked down at Feef expectantly.

"Say the words."

"Food Service Drone Zim. For these crimes against the Empire, in place of the Control Brains, the Tallests have sentenced you to deactivation. Your data is not allowed in the collective, your PAK will-"

"Yea, yea, yea, just do it already!" Red ordered. A soldier stepped forward to begin typing into Zim's PAK.

"My Tallest?" Someone called from the crowd.

"Wait til this is over!"

"But-"

Suddenly the lights went dark in the room, everyone looked around, confused.

"What happened?" Purple asked.

"Turn the lights back on!" Red ordered, and the lights flickered on again, but the ship quickly stopped, making everyone lurch forward and fall over. A corny fanfare began to play over the speakers of the room and a large shadow loomed over the windows.


	12. Chapter 11

_Note that the song you are about to "hear" is from Invader Aqua's Unlikely Romance. She has disappeared from the face of the Earth, otherwise I would have asked her permission to use it. I wanted to site her anyway. Please go read her 'Unlikely' trilogy as it is far better than any of my stories._

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

The fanfare continued with a triumphant, marching tune and the shadow in the window grew larger as everybody struggled to pick themselves up off each other. The guards holding Gaz were thrown away, freeing her. Gaz picked herself up front he floor and bolted for Zim, still hooked to the wires. Collective, out of tune voices began to sing over the speakers.

 _Weeeeeeeee aretheResis-TY!_

 _We've come to save the Uuuuuu-ni-verse!_

The shadow in the window quickly became known as a large space ship hurtling toward the Massive's windows, without a sign of stopping. Irken soldiers scattered away from the oncoming ship as the song continued.

 _Weeeeeeeee ARETHERESIS-TY!_

 _The Ir-kens are ver-ry baaaaaaad!_

The ship crashed hard into the Massive, smashing through the window and wedging itself stuck in the new hole. The Irkens inside, including Gaz, we're thrown backward from the crash. Zim snapped off his wires and smacked his head on the floor. He heard panicked voices running amok all around him and angry orders to fire at will. Zim groaned, raised his throbbing head, and opened his eyes. He saw cloudy, masked figures in gray running, waving weapons around and shouting:

"DOWN WITH THE IRKEN EMPIRE! DEATH TO THE GREEN MENACE!"

With blurry vision he saw Gaz against the wall, surrounded by recovered Irken soldiers.

"Gaz!" He stood up to run for her, but something caught his feet and he tripped over again, before Zim could get back up someone forced a bag over his head, tied his hands back, and began dragging him away.

"ZIM!" He heard her cry out. Zim's shouts of protest were muffled from in the bag, he fought as the aliens dragged him aboard their ship, followed by the other panicked aliens who climbed into the ship with their new prisoner. He heard the door close, something began to bang on it.

"QUICKLY! Let's get out of here!" Zim heard one of the aliens order, the ship's engines started up and he felt metal grinding against metal as the ship broke away from the Massive and begin moving. Zim shouted for them to release him but the aliens didn't hear him, or just didn't listen. He was set against a wall and left alone.

 _Where are they taking me?_ Zim thought, slightly panicked. However, wherever it was, it was better than being deactivated. Zim struggled from his bonds, listening to the panicked voices

"They're pursuing us!" A female voice called.

"Activate lightspeed!"

Zim just about had a finger out of his bonds when the entire ship lurched forward, the momentum smacked him against the wall and pressed him hard into it. A few moments later the ship slowed down to a normal speed and Zim fell over on his side.

"We escaped!" A booming cheer erupted all around Zim.

"Here's to the first real victory of the resistance!"

"DOWN WITH THE IRKEN EMPIRE!" The cheer broke out again.

 _This cannot be good._ Zim thought begrudgingly, trying to right himself off the floor.

"Now then… Let's see what our new prisoner has to say." A voice started coming closer and Zim thrashed a little more. "Wait, which one is that?"

"Uhhh… He's wearing red."

"Is that the scary one?"

"No… I think that's the purple one…"

"What are their actual names again?"

"Let's just ask!"

 _They sound like idiots._ Zim mocked silently.

"Silence! Remove the bag!"

Zim was lifted back up and the bag was removed. He blinked in the bright light and got a look at his captors. They were the strangest band of misfit aliens he had ever seen, all either enslaved or conquered by the Irken empire. He most certainly was not among friends.

To his right, there was a large body with a floating brain above it, a green, drooling blob with an orange tuft of hair, a green head balanced on four legs with a large horn on it's chin, a green, large nostril person with antennae and pink tentacle arms, and a thin, gangly, green alien grinning and waving at Zim. On his left was a hooded female with icy blue, glaring eyes, another large alien with three, white-haired, heads and green eyes, a green-eyed alien that looked like some sort of deformed, somehow familiar, Irken, and a pink, floating cone with his tongue sticking out. Standing directly in front of Zim was a short, gray, Vortian with large green eyes behind protective goggles. They were all wearing the same shade of gray armor in varying sizes and shapes.

"See?" The Vortian said, pointing at Zim. "Red eyes! It's the red one."

"I dunno…" The floating cone questioned, flying closer to Zim's face. "They look sorta pink."

"I believe the color you're thinking of is magenta." The hooded female chimed in with a cool, monotone voice.

"No, no, no they're ruby!" The gangly green alien nodded to himself.

"Oh who CARES what color they are!" The Vortian stomped his foot, shutting everyone else up. He stepped forward, eye level with Zim.

"Tallest _Red_?" The Vortian asked. Zim narrowed his eyes.

 _Tallest Red._ He thought bitterly.

"No." He spit.

"Tallest Purple?" The Vortian raised an eyebrow.

"No." He repeated. The Vortian spun around on the group.

"YOU DIDN'T GET A TALLEST?"

"That one's tall!" The cone pointed out.

"But you were supposed to get one of the Tall _ests_!"

"We did!" The three headed alien defended. "That one was one of the tallest in the room."

"Their LEADERS! You were supposed to grab one of the LEADERS for ransom!" The Vortian screamed at his dysfunctional crew, an amused smirk spread on Zim's face.

"Oh, I knew we weren't ready for this mission!" He whipped on the thin green alien. "You are NEVER allowed to pitch an idea EVER AGAIN!"

"Okay." The alien sunk his head, The Vortian grabbed onto his horns and groaned.

"This was yet another _horrible_ failure." The Vortian looked back at Zim. "You wouldn't happen to be anyone important, would you?"

Zim shook his head with a taunting smirk. "Considering my mate and I were about to be executed…"

 _My mate. Gaz!_ Zim's eyes widened and he began looking around wildly.

"GAZ?" He called, straining to look everywhere, then at the aliens. "Did you take someone else?"

"Like who?"

"My MATE!" He demanded, leaning forward. "We have to go back! We have to go get her! Now!"

The Vortian shook his head, annoyed, and crossed his arms. "Not likely, Irken."

"NO! You don't understand! She's in trouble! We have to get her back, she's all I have!"

 _She's all I have._ Zim thought sadly, the realness of his situation now hitting him. _My home, my mission, my life. All gone._ _If I can't have Gaz, I have nothing._

"We're barely got out of there alive to capture _your_ useless spooch! We're not going back. I'm sure your little mate will be perfectly fine with all the other Irken scum on that ship." He taunted. "Bag him again and take him away." The Vortian turned to leave with his hands behind his back.

"She's not-!"The thin green alien put the bag over Zim's head again and someone large picked him up off the ground.

"Where do you want him?"

"Take him to, the prison ward!" The Vortian ordered dramatically, the alien holding Zim didn't move.

"We don't have one of those."

"Well... Then take him to, the brig!" The Vortian said with the same dramatic tone, Zim still did not move.

"We don't have one of those either."

"A holding cell?"

"Nope."

"A lockable room?"

"The control room locks."

"SPLEEK! I told you no ideas!"

"Sorry."

"Just lock him somewhere dark and small!" The Vortian yelled, finally the large alien carrying Zim began to move. Zim kicked his legs in an effort to escape.

 _Gaz's still on the Massive, I have to get to her!_ He thought, furiously kicking and quickly getting nowhere. The alien stopped, Zim heard a door open behind him and he was tossed to the ground. He thrashed to get up just as his bag was removed. Zim blinked, he had been placed in a laundry room with shelves of clothes and spare armor pieces on his right, and cleansing machines on his left. The alien carrying him quickly jumped backwards and closed the door, filling the room with darkness. Zim pushed off the wall with his head to sit up on his feet and ran to slam into the door, over and over with his shoulder.

"Lemme outta here! You'll pay for this! You'll suffer the wrath of ZIM!" When the door wouldn't budge Zim turned around and tried to donkey kick it down, only succeeding in losing his balance and falling on his face. Ignoring the pain, Zim flipped on his back and yanked on his restraints. When he couldn't break them himself, he used his PAK legs to prop himself up and tried beating the door down again. His antennae were twitching all over the place, his eyes were wildly panicked, and his breathing was heavy.

"LET ME OUT!" He screamed, backing up and smashing himself into it again. He heard a crunch and he reeled back, falling to the ground again and gritting his teeth against the new pain in his arm. After a few minutes he began to settle down, his antennae relaxed and he slid down against the wall and dropped on the floor.

 _It's no use._ He sighed. _Gaz is still on the Massive, even if she hid somewhere they'd find her before I could get to her._

Zim closed his eyes. _Gaz'll be dead before I can get off this ship._

* * *

Gaz was tossed into the wall with other Irken soldiers and debris from the crash. A panel in the door opened up on the intruding ship and various aliens in masks and gray armor poured out yelling and waving weapons around at the recovered Irken soldiers.

"DOWN WITH THE IRKEN EMPIRE! DEATH TO THE GREEN MENACE!"

Gaz tore her gag off and raised her head to find that Irken soldiers picked themselves off the ground to quickly surround her.

"Gaz!" Zim called from the middle of the room. Gaz caught his eyes just in time for one of the aliens to trip Zim, stuff his head in a sack, and tie his hands back. They began dragging him away toward the open door of their ship as he struggled.

"ZIM!" Gaz yelled as the soldiers surrounded her. Gaz smashed through them and after Zim's kidnappers just as they dragged him in the ship, followed by the other aliens. Gaz slammed into the door just as they shut it and began beating into it, trying to open it and get in. The engines of the ship reeved and Gaz backed off, realizing they're going to back out of the hole, so did other Irkens, including the Tallests, as everyone began running for the door out of the room. Gaz bolted out of the room first, just barely missing other soldiers trying to grab her.

"Get her!" Tallest Red demanded as service drones pulled him and Purple out of the room and down the opposite hallway as Gaz. They shot at her as she ran, from memory, back to the docking station.

"Wait!" A voice called from behind her. She continued running, feeling for the box in her pocket, as she came up on a fork. She stopped for half a second, deciding which one to go through.

"This way!" Gaz's wrist was caught by the Table-headed drone and dragged to the right. She followed blindly, not questioning it, as she found her storage box. The Table-headed drone looked behind him and Gaz, unclipped his table-hat, and frisbeed it into the soldiers; knocking the two to the ground. The Irken smirked before facing forward again, they were coming up on another turn when three soldiers cut them off. Gaz and the Irken stopped just short of running them down. Gaz dropped her box, button down, so it grew and opened quickly.

"DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM! Doomy doomy DOOMY DOOMY DOOM!"

Gaz grabbed GIR's antennae and tossed him at the seemingly friendly Irken. She grabbed a water bottle, aimed it at the soldiers, and squeezed hard so it'd pop open at them.

"doom DOOM doom DOOM doom DOOM!"

Water sprayed all over them, and they backed away immediately to wipe the acid from their faces, screaming in pain.

"DOOM! Doomy doomy doomy DOOM DOOM DOOM!"

Gaz grabbed the Irken's shirt and ran through them, arriving at the docks. She choose a small ship and threw the Irken carrying GIR in. Gaz jumped in as well as he started the ship.

"Doom doom doom DOOM doomy doom doom!"

The three runaways shot out of the docking station and into space. The alien ship was pulling away from the Massive, debris and stray, lifeless, soldiers floated around the large hole in the side of the ship.

"After them!" Gaz ordered, the Irken pushed the ship's steering controls down, making the ship go faster. Soon, more Voot cruisers poured out of the docking station, going after the ship as well. The alien ship sped faster away from the Massive, just barely staying out of range of the lasers being fired at them. The Irken typed into the control panels and a small screen zoomed in on the ship and began blinking green..

"Target aquired." An AI responded.

"DOOM DOOM DOOM! DOO-DOO DOOM!"

The alien ship lept forward into space in a flash of light, completely disappearing from sight. Gaz's eyes widened, searching for them. The enemy Voots slowed down, just as confused.

"DOOM!"

A voice came over the speakers of the ship. "All units return to base. Do not pursue. Repeat, all units return to base. Do not pursue."

The enemy Voots turned around and crawled back to the Massive, except for Gaz and the Irken's, who sped faster.

"DOOM! DOOM! DOOM DOOM doooooOOOOOOM!"

"Where'd they go? What happened?"

"Don't worry, we'll catch them. I locked onto them before they left so the ship's still tracking them. It'll take a while though. So strap in." The chubby Irken pushed the controls lower down and they accelerated again. In a flash, Gaz aimed the remains of the water bottle at him.

"Who the hell-"

"DoooooooOOOOOOOOooooooooom! Doo-"

"GIR I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T STOP SINGING I'LL RIP YOUR FACE OFF AND THROW YOUR BODY INTO SPACE!"

GIR immediately stopped and shrunk down. Gaz turned back to the Irken.

"Who are you? Why'd you help me?"

The Irken raised his hands in defense. "It's okay! I'm a friend!"

"You're the one that gagged me!" Gaz threatened the bottle.

"Careful with that!" He begged, retreating further into his seat. "I'm Skoodge! I'm a friend of Zim's!"

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Um… no offense or anything but.. I helped you get out of there."

Gaz paused for a second. "How do you know Zim?"

Skoodge smiled. "Oh Zim and I go way back. We were in training together to be invaders."

"You're an invader?"

Skoodge frowned. "I was…"

Gaz lowered the water bottle. "So why are you helping me?"

"Well, uh… if you're Zim's… _mate_ … then you're a friend of mine!"

"I don't make friends." Gaz cut, setting the bottle on her lap.

Skoodge shrugged, "Neither do I." The two stared at each other for a moment, Skoodge looked down at the half empty water bottle.

"What is that anyway? What'd you do to those guys?"

Gaz sat back in her seat. "It's called water. Word of advice, don't touch it." She said bringing the bottle to her lips.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Skoodge yelled, diving to smack the bottle away. It fell to the floor and spilled, a small amount landing on his arm, he shrieked and jumped back, shaking it off.

"You IDIOT! That was my last bottle!"

"I thought you said don't touch that stuff!" Skoodge snapped back, clutching his lightly smoking arm.

"It's safe for me! It's from my planet! I need to drink that to survive!"

"You _drink_ that stuff?" Skoodge asked, horrified. She reached over to smack him on the back of the head.

"You really think I'd just down half a bottle of acid?" Skoodge frowned and rubbed his head.

"Well I didn't know!" He turned back to the controls and gunned the accelerators again. "Man, I can see why Zim likes you…"

Gaz blushed and looked out the window. "How long will it take to catch up with them?"

"Depending on how long they use lightspeed, but by the look of their ship, it's not gonna take them far. We'll just keeping going forward until our ship let's us know their new coordinates."

"Fine." Gaz turned back to GIR sitting alone in the backseat with a vacant stare. "Mini-moose."

The little purple moose floated down from the ceiling and happily replied. "Nyaaaah?"

"Make sure GIR doesn't sing anymore."

"Nyah!" The moose hovered a little higher to land gently on top of GIR's head. Gaz settled into her seat and stared out the window, there was silence.

"SO! What are you anyway?" Skoodge asked, trying to strike up a conversation. Gaz growled threateningly, there was silence again.


	13. Chapter 12

_Hey... So yea... I'm back... Sorry 'bout that whole 'no updates since last year' thing... Here's a new chapter! Don't hate me! :D_

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

"So that's how I didn't die that time... OH! And then there was the time I got attacked by a gigantic hogulus!" Skoodge paused in thought. "Zim did that too…"

Gaz was shaking with rage, Skoodge had been chattering on and on in a vain attempt to begin a friendly conversation. However, due to his heroic actions on the Massive possibly saving her life, Gaz _didn't_ cave his face in. She took a deep breath, it was better than GIR's repetitive singing. She stared out the window into empty space trying to block him out, she was in no mood to chat, but it wasn't her new companion's chatter that put her moodiness on edge; it was her worry. Zim was out there somewhere, kidnapped by possibly malicious aliens, doing God knows what to him. Her mind drifted to the unthinkable, over and over. She ground her teeth, if Zim was dead she'd find every last one of the kidnappers, rip them open, and set their organs on fire, provided they would die from that.

Gaz sighed and shook her head to clear her clouded mind, spinning the stone in her pocket in a nervous twitch. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on the cool window. The earlier scene in the Massive replayed in her mind, they had walked right into an obvious trap. Gaz thought something was wrong, but Zim didn't even see it coming. He was so _trusting_. She scowled, thinking of Zim's leaders and his broken expression. She didn't understand what 'defective' meant to Irkens, but Zim's reaction told her it wasn't a term used in polite conversation. She would have to add the Tallests to her list of people who deserved mass amounts of pain.

She felt a poke and she opened her eyes and looked over at a concerned Skoodge.

"Hey, you okay?"

Gaz leaned on the window again. No, she was not okay. In addition to the stressful day... stressful _month,_ Gaz had not had any water for a while. The spilled bottle would have been the first water she had for about a day and a half and she was plagued with a splitting headache and a bone dry mouth. She shook her head.

"Can I help?"

"I need water." Gaz croaked.

Skoodge furrowed his brow. "Where can I get some?"

Gaz shrugged, she knew nothing about the area they were in, or where they would find water. In all honesty, Earth was probably not that far away, but they were on Zim's trail and they had gone too far to turn back for her sake. Skoodge looked her over, and turned to GIR and Mini-Moose.

"Do you guys know where some water would be?"

"Nyah…" Mini-Moose apologized.

"I've got waffles!" GIR announced happily, possibly trying to help.

Skoodge raised an antennae. "Is that like water?"

Gaz shook her head again. "Do you have _anything_ to drink?"

"No, but… I could try to find a nearby planet with water."

Gaz shook her head. "No. We have to find Zim."

"Are you sure? You don't look so good…"

Gaz lifted her head and rubbed her eyes. "I'm fine." Every minute they would waste trying to find water would be another minute of Zim in danger. She wouldn't risk it.

 _I just need to take my mind off of it._ She thought with a sigh. She searched her mind for a conversation topic and stuck on something gnawing at the back of her mind.

"Did Zim really do all of those things?" She turned her head at Skoodge, his antennae twitched.

"The stuff at the hearing?" Gaz nodded.

"Well, yeah, I guess. It's seems pretty bad when you bunch it all together like that… Especially the blowing up the universe thing…" Skoodge tapped his fingers on the steering controls. "I was there for Horrible, Painful, Overload Day Part 2, y'know. Zim threw me into some guards… it hurt…"

"Did you know about his mission?" Gaz turned to him. Skoodge nodded shamefully and shrunk in his seat.

"Yeah… Everyone did… It was, uh… kind of a running joke on Irk." He avoided Gaz's eyes. "'How do you think Zim's doing on his mission?', 'Did you hear about Zim's new 'plan'', 'Do you think Zim's killed himself yet?'"

"Why would they do that?" Gaz asked, hurt. Skoodge shifted in his seat.

"Zim wasn't the best soldier. He was the worst actually. He caused havoc wherever he went, as you heard. He never knew but he was the laughing stock of the Irken colonies. On paper it was a good idea to just get rid of him, but…" Skoodge trailed off, looking out the window. "I had enough of the jokes. Zim was my friend. I wanted to help him. After I completed my mission on my own planet I went to help him on Earth for a while. I thought maybe if he conquered Earth then the Tallests would let him come home again. When the Tallests found out I was forced to leave, and as punishment they made me a service drone."

Gaz blinked at Skoodge and turned back to the window. Zim was so enthusiastic about his mission, so proud of himself. When he told Gaz about it we went on and on about how he wouldn't fail his Tallests, how he'd really prove himself worthy. Gaz frowned, she wondered how Zim must be taking it, provided he was still alive.

The console began to beep and Skoodge perked up.

"Got 'em!" He said excitedly typing into the control panel. "They've returned from lightspeed, looks like their new coordinates are… 100 megalitos… Behind us?"

"What?" Gaz snapped. "How is that possible?"

"Huh… I guess they didn't use lightspeed as much as I thought they would have." Skoodge quickly 180'ed the ship and accelerated it the other way. "Lightspeed is tricky… There's a time-thingy involved. What could seem like a few hours to us, is just a few minutes, or I guess seconds, to them. It's all very difficult to explain but the gist of it is: we past them… by a long shot."

"Well how long is it gonna take to reach them?"

"Uh… at top speed on both ends, maybe another few hours?" Skoodge shrugged. "I'll try to get us there as fast as possible but it's gonna take a while, so..." Skoodge looked nervously at Gaz.

"So, what?" She asked, annoyed.

"So maybe while they're coming to us, we could find you some water?"

"I'm fine." Gaz said curtly, turning back to the window.

"But, think about it! What are we gonna do when we catch them if you're in this condition?"

"I said, I'm _fine._ "

"If it comes down to it, we might have to fight them for Zim."

"I can handle it."

"But-"

" _Drop it_." Gaz glared harshly at Skoodge, who let his antennae fall and looked back at the window.

"I just hope we can get there in time." Skoodge mumbled. Gaz cringed as her head throbbed behind her eyes.

 _Me too…_

* * *

Zim stared at the ceiling on the floor, a thoughtful frown on his face.

 _Zim… You're_ alive _?_

 _Nope, this planet wasn't marked. This one's free game._

 _You're not even an Invader y'know! The Tallest LIED to you! Your mission is all a big LIE!_

 _Your PAK still had you encoded as a Food Service Drone, Tallests lied to get rid of you._

 _Your mission was a death sentence._ Zim closed his eyes. The harsh, eye-opening words of his past swirled like a black hole in his thoughts. This whole time his mission was a lie, his whole existence was a cruel joke played by the ones he looked up to.

 _Defective_.

Zim held his face in his hands, he had gotten them free hours ago, but there was no use in escaping, he was better off in the care of idiots than being found by those who would do actual harm. Even if he managed to get off this ship, where would he go? His people betrayed him. Everyone was probably looking for him on Irk, everyone on Earth were definitely looking for him. The Empire has colonies all over the universe, he would be found eventually. He had no home, he had no-one.

 _Gaz_.

Zim's eyes closed tighter, fighting his emotions.

 _It's all my fault._ He thought. _It's my fault she's gone._ _I was too stupid to see what the Tallests were doing. And I brought her right to them. I should have never brought her with me. She was better off on Earth._

Zim sat up against the wall and set his forehead on his knees, the flashing button on his forearm caught his eye again.

 _And I'm better off dead._

Zim eyed the tempting button, slowly forgetting his compelling arguments against pushing it. He raised a finger when suddenly the door opened in his room, blinding him with bright light. The light died as a large silhouette stepped in. It spoke.

"The captain has requested your presence." Zim only glared and looked away, pretending as if the intruder did not exist. In response the alien stepped forward and grabbed for Zim who barely fought as the alien threw him over it's shoulder again and closed the room.

"I can walk!" He protested, thrashing. The alien set him down and Zim glared up at it. The alien in question was the one with three heads, who all looked concerned, before walking off through the hallway. Zim followed begrudgingly until they arrived in the large room he was originally brought to. The Vortian was sitting at a desk, accompanied by the floating cone and the bulky alien with the exposed brain. Zim stopped in the doorway but the three headed alien pushed him in the room. Zim nearly tripped but caught his balance and walked toward the waiting Vortian. He didn't wait for approval before sitting in the empty chair across from the captain, he slouched in his seat and crossed his arms, glaring. The Vortian leaned forward and put his arms on the desk, eyeing Zim.

"I'm going to be asking some questions. And you're going to answer them." Zim ignored him and kept staring.

"What is your name?"

Zim stayed silent, his antennae twitched.

"Your name, _Irken_." The Vortian demanded. Zim scowled.

"Food Service Drone Zim."

"A food service drone was going to be deactivated before the Tallests themselves?" The Vortian raised an eyebrow. "What were your charges?"

Zim smirked and looked away.

"The murder of two Tallests, the destruction of half of Irk, escaping exile, I could go on."

The Vortian's eyes widened. "You killed two Tallests?"

 _I'll kill more than that._ Zim thought, not acknowledging the Vortian.

"Aren't drones supposed to have undying loyalty to the Empire?" The Vortian mocked, leaning back in his chair. Zim gave him a dark scowl.

"I'm defective." He smiled facetiously.

"I see…" The Vortian nodded in thought. "You seem to have some animosity toward the Empire."

Zim's antennae flattened and he dug his nails in his own skin, he opened his mouth to speak but turned away, biting his tongue.

"They took everything from me." Zim hissed, the Vortian raised an eyebrow and turned to his crew.

"Us as well. The Irken scourge has taken our planets, enslaved our people, and stolen our couch. We, as refugees, have banded together to form a resistance against the green menace." The Vortian stood up proudly and saluted.

"We, are the-

"WE'RE THE PIRATE MONKEYS!" The cone interjected, attempting to salute as well.

The Vortian angrily turned on the cone. "No! That's not our name!"

"It's an awesome name…" The cone backed off and the Vortian turned back to Zim and resumed his proud stance.

"We, are the Resisty."

Zim smiled. "The Resisty?"

"Yes," The Vortian glared at Zim, daring another word. "The Resisty."

Zim only shook his head.

 _Idiots._

"You know…" He sat back down in his chair and gave Zim a fake smile. "A rogue Irken could be useful to our cause…" He leaned forward, suddenly interested. Zim frowned.

"Then go find one."

The Vortian matched his look. "You obviously have quarrels with the Irken Empire, I assume like most drones you've had military training? Your charges alone have said enough about you. We could use a man like you." The Vortian gave a cocky smile. "What do you say we put your anger to good use?"

Zim stood up from his chair and slammed his hands on the table. "I don't want your help!"

"But you do _need_ it. What are you going to do? Walk into the Massive and take out the Tallests all by yourself? You don't even have a ship."

"I don't need your ship, goat-monster. I trained for years as an elite soldier. I'll figure it out." Zim turned to leave.

"Guards." The Vortian mumbled, the two larger aliens grabbed each of Zim's arms, turned him back around and seated him in his chair.

"You need us as much as we need you. You have the skills of a soldier, almost none of us have had any training before the resistance. You need the men and the ships, we need your experience."

The captain fell back in his chair as Zim scowled and ground his teeth.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, the Vortian was correct. Zim couldn't even leave the ship, let alone take down the Irken Empire's most guarded individuals. He flattened his antennae.

"Fine." He hissed, then he leaned forward. "But on my terms."

"We'll see, Irken." The Vortian growled. "What terms?"

"I want my own ship."

The Vortian scowled and leaned toward the floating cone. "Shloonktapooxis, tell Spleenk he's being demoted."

The cone stuck his tongue out and squeaked before floating out of the room.

"Next?"

"The Tallests are _mine_." Zim growled.

"Done. Anything else?"

Zim thought for a moment.

"When I kill the Tallests. I want to be next in line."

"Out of the question green _scum._ " The Vortian stood up.

"Then I'm out." Zim leaned back in his chair. "Go find another Irken soldier willing to fight with you."

"You are _our_ prisoner, Irken. You will fight for us if we demand." The Vortian pointed angrily but Zim only smiled.

"I'll escape. I'm good at that, remember? I'll kill the Tallests with or without you and your disorganized crew. It will just take more time. If you want them gone quickly you'll do as I say."

The Vortian scowled hard at Zim before sitting back down in his chair. He tapped his fingers on the table for a moment before speaking.

"You will end Operation Impending Doom 2,"

"Done."

"You will return the stolen planets,"

"Done."

"And you will free those enslaved,"

"Done."

"And we want our couch back!" The captain slammed his fist down on the table.

"Fine, goat-beast. We have a deal?"

The Vortian growled before nodding. "And it's Captain Lard Nar, _Irken."_

"It's Zim. _Goat-beast_."


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Zim received his own quarters as well as a newly emptied ship. It was a Vortian escape pod modified to do serious damage. Top quality, Vortian-grade, military weapons. Zim's quarters were not so glamorous. It was a cramped metal room with a small cot in the corner. However, not really needing sleep, Zim rarely used it. The crew members of the Resisty were, unsurprisingly, less than friendly toward Zim. Not that Zim cared for them either, he wasn't going to be around them for very long. He just needed to get to the Tallests and all of this would be over.

Maybe if he returned to the Massive quickly, Gaz would still be alive in a cell somewhere. Zim ground his teeth and flattened his antennae on his way to the meeting Lard Nar had called.

 _If I find out they hurt her, I'll tear them apart._ He thought, with a glare stuck on his face. _I'll send their PAKs into a star and rip their body shells to pieces._

Zim looked up from the floor as the doors slid open before him. Lard Nar, the cone, and the body guards as well as the other crew members sat around a large table. All eyes bore into him as he entered and sat with them. He shared a glare with Lard Nar before slouching back in his seat.

"We're all here then?" He asked dryly, the aliens looked around nodding. "Good. As we all know, we've accepted a new member." The Vortian gestured to Zim.

"This is Zim. He's a defective Irken, willing to share knowledge and aid our cause."

"Don't look into it, goat." Zim snapped up. "I'm here for the Tallests. Nothing more."

"As I was saying." Lard Nar continued, disregarding him. "Zim is an experienced soldier, a useful addition. We'll all make him feel welcome, won't we?" The captain smirked as the crew grumbled and whispered curses, Zim flattened his antennae.

"Alright, Zim. What's your plan?" All eyes fell on Zim.

"My plan?"

"Yes, _Irken_. You want to take out the Tallests. How?"

"I thought _you_ had a plan! Since when is it _my_ plan?"

"You were the one who wanted to take down the Tallests in the first place!"

" _You're_ supposed to be the captain!"

Lard Nar growled at Zim and slumped back in his seat. "Fine. Does anyone have any ideas?"

Lard Nar looked around the table at empty faces avoiding his eyes.

"Um… maybe we could-"

"SPLEENK!" Lard Nar snapped at the green, gangly alien sitting in the corner of the room, far from the table. "Turn around, and be quiet."

Spleenk nodded and faced the wall.

"Anyone else?" Again, Lard Nar's crew avoided his eyes. Zim groaned and rested his head against the table.

"Okay." He sat up. "How many ships do we command?"

"Um, well… like big ones? Or little ones?"

Zim glared. "How many ships do we command?"

"Um… well, our main vessel, and then four modified escape pods."

"Five ships." Zim repeated, disappointed. "We have five ships."

"Well, I mean... Yes..." Lard Nar twitched, looking embarrassed. "But we have skilled pilots."

"Really?" Zim asked, not convinced. "Whoever pilots the other three escape vessels, raise a hand."

Zim looked around the room as the large three headed alien, the hooded female, the large nostril person, and the green alien known as Spleenk raised their hands, Spleenk frowned and lowered his.

"I see, from this moment on you will be known as Zim's Squad and you will be under my command."

"Y-you can't just TAKE my crew!" Lard Nar yelled. "Under what authority do you dare?"

"My plan, my crew, _goat_." Zim dismissed quickly, then turned his attention to the glaring pilots. "I, of course, will need undying loyalty if my plan is to work. If not, you will most likely suffer terrible, painful deaths from incompetence. Am I clear?"

Zim looked around the room, the three pilots looked to Lard Nar, who gave an ungrateful nod, the pilots grumbled in acceptance.

"Good." Zim stood up. "Now, I've seen how well most of you do in combat. You're terrible. You're unorganized. You ran around the room screaming and firing aimlessly. It is clear you have no combat training in the slightest." Zim began walking toward Lard Nar's chair as he spoke.

"Now hold on a minute, _Irken_." Lard Nar chimed in, standing from his chair. Zim bent down, face to face with him and smirked.

"You didn't even manage to complete your task of capturing a Tallest. In short, not only were you terrible, but you failed." Zim turned his attention down the table, greeted by glares. He only smiled.

"Who can tell me _exactly_ what the Tallests look like?" He probed. The crew looked around the room with blank stares.

"Well…" The floating brain alien spoke up. "They're tall…"

"Very good." Zim applauded facetiously, walking toward him. "Anything else?"

"One of them is purple… and one is red."

"Fantastic. And how did you do with this knowledge?" Zim asked. "You managed to grab the one tall Irken in the room that was _not_ the Tallests." Zim mocked, extending a cable from his PAK and quickly plugging it into an open port in the floating brain's exposed neck. Two pictures of Tallest Red and Purple appeared above his neck, blocking view of the brain. The crew 'ooed'.

"This, is what the Tallests look like."

"This feels weird." The brain complained.

"Study these pictures well. You must be able to tell them apart from every other Irken in the room that simply happens to be tall."

Zim paused a moment as the crew stared at the pictures, then turned to Lard Nar.

"I need to make a call."

"Well sure!" The floating cone happily accepted, hovering to the door. "Our coms is in the control room."

"Hang on a minute!" Lard Nar interrupted. "Who are you calling? Where?"

"I have an inside source who can get me some extra information." Zim replied, disregarding his protest and following the happy cone out of the room. Lard Nar followed quickly, leaving everyone else in the room confused.

"How do I know you're not calling the Empire to turn us in?"

"You can follow me if you wish, as long as you are completely silent."

Lard Nar stuttered a complaint before walking quietly past Zim and the cone, taking lead to the control room. Two white sliding doors opened as they approached and entered. It was an expansive, circular, metal room surrounded by glass walls looking out into space. Zim had entered on the top of three raised levels leading up from the center of the room. He stepped toward the main panel on the second level and glared at Lard Nar expectantly. Lard Nar begrudgingly walked up to the main panel and typed controls.

"It's voice commanded, just say who you want to speak to and where they are. No funny business either! If you try contacting other Irkens we'll throw your sorry spooch out the airlock!" Lard Nar threatened, in vain. Zim only rolled his eyes and shooed the Vortian away.

"Prisoner 777 on planet Vort."

The screen flickered for a second, the Irken sigil spun on the screen for a moment before lighting up with a small white room, the walls buzzed with blue electricity and a Vortian prisoner sat in a corner with his head between his knees. The prisoner looked up and immediately scowled.

"Oh no. No no NO! I don't care what you have to say, or what you need this time. The answer is NO!" He stood up and walked to the screen.

"I don't have time for disobedience, goat. I need a full diagram of the Massive."

"The answer is NO!" Prisoner 777 shook his head. "Thousands of Vortian slaves built the Massive. Go find one!"

"Look, goat. May I remind you I-" Zim bit his lip, thinking back to his exploding base on Earth. He cleared his throat. "I need those plans immediately."

"Forget it, Zim. I'm not helping you anymore."

Lard Nar cleared his throat, smirking. "May I?"

Zim scowled and stepped back for him to speak to the prisoner. Lard Nar smiled up at him and spoke.

"Wal Gern, what surprise."

"Lard Nar? Is that really you?" The prisoner's eyes widened. "I thought you went down in the Final Stand. Does Zim have you in some sort of blood pact too?"

"Actually, Zim works for me now." He bragged, nudging Zim who immediately shoved him back; and off his feet.

"But I'll get to the point," Lard Nar grumbled, picking himself off the floor. "We need those plans to the Massive."

"What for? I've already gotten into trouble for being in contact with Zim. I shouldn't even be talking to him. Or _you_ for that matter!"

"Listen, we can't relay any details on this call. You'll need to trust us. For the good of our people."

The prisoner blinked, seemingly unfazed, but he sighed and began to type into his screen.

"After the Tallests found out I was helping Zim they'll be sure to monitor me. I'll get into serious trouble for this." He shook his head, clearly unhappy. "They'll probably add _another_ 7 years to my sentence."

"Have trust, Wal Gern. You'll be free soon." The control panel began to beep, receiving the codes for the Massive's plans. Lard Nar bowed to Wal Gern before ending the call. Zim typed into the panel and plugged in his PAK for a moment before turning to walk away. Leaving a disgruntled captain to follow at his heels, followed suit by a ditsy, floating cone; barely paying attention to the scene.

Zim entered the meeting room again, to the surprise of the abandoned crew members who were about to leave and see what was going on. Zim strode toward the brain creature and, again, plugged his PAK into the open port of the alien's neck. New pictures appeared, detailed internal images of the Massive, blueprints, maps, and color coordinated instructions of its controls and cable lines.

"That's the MAssive!" The cone yelled, proudly sticking his tongue out.

"Yes, cone-thing." Zim droned. "You were able to identify the Massive, and then you smashed into it." Zim looked at Lard Nar who sat back down his seat with a huff. "However, this could work to our advantage. We have a small window of opportunity where the drones in the Massive will have to repair the hole you made, here." Zim pointed to the front of the Massive in the side room where they hit. "The hole will most likely be guarded as it is repaired, so we will need prepped, loaded weapons and armor."

"We will have to smash into the hole again to gain entrance, but before that, Zim's Squad will leave the main vessel and take out their escape pods, leaving no escape when we raid. We will have to be fast. Once we break through again, the Tallests will mostly likely be escorted to one as quickly as possible. Am I clear so far?"

The crew nodded and mumbled in response.

"I said, AM I CLEAR?" Zim yelled, gaining a more direct response. He pointed to the front of the ship below the Irken insignia. "This is the control room, the heart of the Massive. The Tallests spend most of their time here taking calls and directing orders. If we're fast enough, we will corner them here. If not, they will be directed to the escape pods along this route, to here." Zim pointed down a hallway and to the side of the ship.

"The escape pods will be disabled _before_ they get there, or this whole plan will fail. Understood?" He received agreement.

"We will take out the Tallests and leave as soon as possible. We make preparations immediately. Load the guns, fuel the ships, put on the armour, anything that needs to be done will get done before we make contact."

Zim glared at the surprised Vortian and then started to walk away.

"Alright everybody." Lard Nar chimed in, directing control back to him. "Let's get this-" Suddenly, sirens blared and flashing red lights darkened the room.

"What is that?" Zim turned on Lard Nar, who jumped up from his seat and ran out the door. Everyone else followed, including Zim until they reached the control room. Zim looked out the huge windows and saw a small pink speck.

"It's an Irken ship! They must have sent a scout to track us out here!" Lard Nar panicked. Other crew members began to widely chatter. Zim looked around at the disappointingly confused faces. He groaned.

"Zim's squad, load into your ships. We're going to take the ship and the pilot. Damage it if you need to, but don't blow it up!"

For a moment the crew members looked at each other. The hooded female was the first to rush off, the large nostril person and the three headed alien followed suit and Zim ran behind them.

He dove into the escape pod and laid back in his seat, once all the pods were filled, Zim flipped the switch. All the ships, still attached to the wall, rose to the side as the wall opened up into space. Ships began popping off the wall and buzzing away into space after the intruder. Zim was still touchy with the controls of a Vortian ship, but he managed to turn on the communications channel with his squad.

"Female-thing and Nostril person, flank it's right, hold their attention. Three-head, you're with me on the left." Zim commanded. "You and I are gonna take out an engine."

Zim's veered off to the left of the little pink ship slowly getting closer. He was followed by who he could only assume was Three-head through the tinted windshields. The other two ships flanked its side. They were within a stone's throw of the ship now, it began to curve and dodge driving straight toward the Vortian mothership without a show of force.

"Female, Nostril person, don't let it get near the ship! Shoot at it, drive it toward us so we can get a clear shot!" Zim barked commands as he and Three-head changed direction. He saw the female's quick blue sparks of Vortian-grade lasers firing in front and to the side of the Irken ship, herding it away from the home ship and straight for Zim. Just as Zim was about to fire, the Irken ship dodged upward and spun around the other two. Zim pulled his controls back, stopping just short of the hooded female's ship, barely missing her. He grumbled and moved past her and after the Irken ship which was heading straight for the home ship again. Zim sped after it, the Vortian escape pod seemingly faster than the Irken Voot.

 _Just don't hit the pilot._ He thought as he took aim at the left engine. Zim scowled, this was his first act of purposeful treason against the Empire. He took a deep breath and fired. A single, bright blue flash shot from his guns and hit right on target, the Voot's left engine exploded and spun aimlessly in space. He smiled.

"Surround it! Get it into the ship! Watch those guns!" He barked into the coms. The other three ships enclosed the Irken Voot. All four ships used their force fields to encased them in a magnetic lock and dragged the intruder into the home ship. Zim separated from the other three to land in the port first and open the main doors of the control room. He hopped out of his pod and ran, adrenaline pumping, through the halls to the awaiting crew members who began to cheer.

"That was amazing!" The green alien known as Spleenk praised.

"It's not over yet, ready your guns!" Zim ordered, the crew scattered for their weapons. Zim opened the first set of airlock doors for only one of the ships to enter, closed it behind them and opened the second set.

The abused ship was lowered down onto the floor, everyone else, now armed, took aim. The Vortian pod left through the airlock after the other two pods headed for the port. Zim prepared himself, his antennae were twitching with anticipation. He was sure he hadn't killed the pilot but it was taking an unusually long time for them to want to emerge. Then the windshield opened and smoke billowed out in a dark cloud.

"Come out with your hands up!" Zim shouted, "You're surrounded! Give yourself up!"

Zim squinted into the smoke, waiting for movement when he saw a flash of cyan and orange. His spine shivered when he heard a familiar scream come from the ship and bolt out, dashing around the room in a wild panic. Zim raised a brow when he caught a glimpse of the screaming blur, seemingly on fire and followed by a little purple smudge. A few of the confused crew members dove out of the way of the squealing robot as he tore around the room in rapid circles.

"GIR?" Zim asked, confused. "Mini-moose?"

 _But then..._

"Zim?" The intruder called. Zim's antennae perked up, recognizing the voice.

"Hold your fire." Zim put his gun down, and the others followed.

"ZIM!" It called again, he could see a faint silhouette of the Irken appearing in the fading smoke. Confirming his suspicion, he saw a short, fat Irken pulling on something inside the ship.

"Skoodge?"

"Zim!" Skoodge shouted again. "Please! I don't know- I can't-."

Zim took a step forward.

"It's-" He shouted, desperately trying to pull something out of the ship. His clothes were red, but not the standard pink color of his uniform, a shade far darker. Zim's antennae picked up a familiar irony smell as he got closer to the ship. He took one more step and dropped his gun, his antennae fell against his head and his eyes widened in horror. The left side of the ship was torn and badly damaged, the frail passenger inside was even more so.

 _Gaz_.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Gaz!" Zim screamed. Skoodge was too weak and small to pull her from the broken ship but Zim dove in and scooped her out, staining himself with her blood. Her left side was burned, scraped, and bruised from the wreckage.

Her left arm, from her shoulder to her elbow, was missing chunks and singed around the edges, slowly bleeding. Her face was covered in cuts and small, metal debris. Her hair was tangled and singed, with small wisps of rising smoking. But what caught Zim's attention was the large, twisted, metal shrapnel embedded in her left side, quickly oozing blood.

Zim wiped the debris from her face and shook her.

"GAZ!" He yelled, trying to wake her. She was unresponsive and her breathing was heavy and labored.

 _I shot her._

Zim looked up at the crew with misting eyes.

"HELP ME!"

"W-w-what are we supposed to do?" Lard Nar stammered.

Zim ran up to them, holding Gaz close. "Are _any_ of you a medic?!" He screamed, the crew looked around at each other. Zim's spooch tightened. "I need a medical kit **NOW**!" He shoved through them and to the control panel of the ship on the second level while they watched. Skoodge followed close, nervous, and GIR still tore around the room with his head on fire, pursued by a silent Mini-moose.

Zim lay Gaz on the floor while he typed into the controls to construct a kit. Blue light passed over a table back and forth until a medical kit materialized. Zim wrenched open the box and with shaky, blood stained hands he searched through it, trying not to notice that Gaz's blood was pooling next to her. The crew slowly crept toward Zim as he went through the tools.

Zim took the jar of blue slime and focused on the metal in her side. He pulled lightly, and it budged. He pulled harder, and pulled it out the rest of the way. Gaz didn't respond to what would have been a lot of pain. It was about the size of his forearm when it emerged, covered in blood. Zim threw it across the floor and quickly ripped open Gaz's shirt to examine the large wound in her side. It was deep, jagged, burned, and quickly spilling blood. He was spreading the jelly on it when he caught them staring from the corner of his eye.

"DON'T LOOK AT HER!" He snapped with death in his eyes, making them all jump back a step.

"Wait… _That's_ your mate?" Lard Nar questioned. "What even _is_ that?"

"She's a human." Skoodge informed, creeping closer to Zim as he frantically worked. "Zim's a Slorgak."

"I've never seen anything like it."

"Where's it from?"

"Is it supposed to be leaking like that?"

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Zim bellowed like an angry animal, the crew backed away again.

Zim turned back to Gaz. She was pale. Very pale. The ooze on her side was still blue but he couldn't wait anymore, he needed to close the wound before she lost any more blood. He scraped it off and prepared the small black box. With shaky hands he hovered the box over the front of the gash and pressed the button. Quickly, and precariously, he closed the wound.

GIR stopped running circles to leap onto Spleenk's head and yanked him around, riding him like a crazed monkey, still on fire. Mini-moose finally caught up to GIR and settled on his head again with a delighted squeak, ignoring the flames surrounding him.

"Get him out of here!" Zim snapped, not looking away from his work. The brain alien ripped GIR off of Spleenk's screaming head, held him by the antennae and, holding him away, began carrying him up the stairs and out the door.

 _Please._ Zim thought, finishing the stitch. _Please!_

Zim put the box down and held her face in his hands.

"GAZ!" He shouted, shaking her again. "WAKE UP!"

 _I closed the wound. What else do I have to do?_

Zim's breathing was rapid, he desperately looked back at the useless audience.

"GET OUT!" He yelled, standing up and stomping toward them, glaring through misty eyes and flattening his antennae threateningly. "ALL OF YOU! LEAVE US ALONE!"

The crew quickly scrambled out of the room and Zim dropped down on his knees beside Gaz.

 _Think. Think. Think. Human anatomy. What do I need to do?_

Zim growled and spread more blue jelly on Gaz's other cuts and burns. The smaller ones turned green quickly, while the larger, deeper ones took more time.

 _Heart beat._ Zim remembered. _Human's hearts need to beat._

Zim put his head against her chest and listened.

…

…

… _bu bump_

…

Zim breathed and raised his head, looking her over.

 _What more do I have to do?_

"Gaz-beast! I _demand_ you wake up!" Zim yelled, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "What do I do? Tell me what to do!"

She didn't respond. Zim put his head in his hands, his thoughts were clouded by panic, frustration, and guilt. He looked around the room for something. Anything. And back at her. The blood pool had stopped growing but it was big, plus the blood in the ship, and the blood on his clothes and hands.

 _How do I put it back? She needs that doesn't she?_

Zim looked through the kit again. There was the blue jelly, the black box, some supplements and pills, and bandages.

He cursed. And turned back to Gaz. There was nothing more he could do. He didn't have any blood to give her.

"Gaz, _please_! Tell me what I have to do. Wake up. Help me!"

No response. Zim put his head on her chest again.

…

…

…

Zim kept his head on her chest, not breathing. You could hear a pin drop the room it was so quiet.

"NO!" He bellowed, taking her shoulders and shaking her. "Don't do this to me you _useless_ , _pathetic_ , little HUMAN! Open your eyes! NOW! WAKE UP!"

No response.

"Obey your Zim!" He yelled, cracking on a sob, his eyes misting over. "GAZ-LOVE! LISTEN TO ME!"

No response. Zim turned away and screamed, pulling on his antennae.

 _I shot her._ His eyes flooded over. _It's all my fault._

He turned back to her and put his head on her chest again.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Zim squeezed his eyes shut to stop the flow of tears. Gaz's body was cold. He held his breath hoping to hear something.

He didn't.

Zim stayed there listening to nothing until the tears dried before he finally raised his head to look at her. Her face was paler than usual, smeared in her own red blood. He brushed her deep purple hair from her eyes and stared. There were minor cuts on her cheek and a large bruise just above her left eye. She was still and pale, like a star. He pulled her body closer and laid her head on his lap. From the right side she looked like she was sleeping like what felt like all those years ago. She looked peaceful. He let his antennae fall and bowed his head.

* * *

Zim sat there with Gaz in his arms for hours. The curious, whispering voices behind the door were too afraid to disturb him, even though the ship's controls were unmanned, which means they had been floating through space for a while now with no actual direction.

"Is he still in there?"

"He's been so quiet…"

"Should we… go in?"

"You." Lard Nar pointed at Skoodge, who had gone unnoticed for some time, as since they had been kicked out, everyone was too focused on pressing their ears to the door. "You were with the girl. What happened?"

"You… you shot at us and she…" Skoodge shook his head, trying to piece together the scene. "Gaz was right in the way when we were hit. It all happened so fast, suddenly I was red… I don't know…"

"Are you a friend of Zim's?" Lard Nar asked. Skoodge nodded. "Then you'll go see what happened."

The crew unanimously agreed and, before he could protest, Skoodge was pushed through the crowd and out the door. He turned to say something just as they shut the door on him. Skoodge looked down to find Zim still by the ship's controls. He was motionless with Gaz in his arms with his back to Skoodge, either he didn't notice his presence, or didn't care. As Skoodge got closer he could see Gaz's face, she was very pale, she wasn't moving either. The large pool of red beside her and the red all over Zim told Skoodge the worst had happened.

 _Oh, Zim…_ He thought sullenly. Skoodge stood there waiting for Zim to move or tell him to leave. He did neither. Skoodge took a wary step forward and with a nervous hand, he reached for Zim's shoulder. Zim remained statuesque when Skoodge made contact, he stood there for a moment looking at Gaz's still face.

"I… I'm sorry…" Skoodge said. Zim didn't respond. "I didn't know her- I mean, not for very long but…" Skoodge glanced at Zim, hoping for some sort of reaction. He continued.

"She was… she said she needed water… I suggested we go find some, but she wanted to find you first. She was really worried that you were in trouble."

"Thank you, Skoodge." Zim murmured. Skoodge looked at Zim, he still did not move, but his antennae twitched.

"Are… are you okay?"

"Yes, Skoodge." Zim lifted his head, he had no emotion on his face while looking down at Gaz. "I'm fine."

"Can I do anything?"

"No, Skoodge. Please leave."

"Zim… shouldn't we… I don't know… do something, with-"

"Leave, Skoodge." Zim didn't look at Skoodge but his tone was clear. Skoodge moved away, about to leave, but he stopped and looked back. He couldn't leave Zim like that. It wasn't right, for either of them.

"Don't humans have some sort of… funerary ritual?"

"Leave _now_."

"No, Zim. It's not right." Skoodge stepped forward and kneeled at Zim's side, Zim didn't look at him. "I can't leave you like this with her… like that."

Skoodge scooted closer.

"Look, we can do something for her… say some words maybe?" Skoodge leaned forward, trying to catch Zim's eye away from her face, his hand slowly crept toward Gaz. "We just need to-"

Skoodge barely brushed her when, in a flash, Zim bent his hand back in a crushing hold; a deadly fire flared in his eyes. Skoodge yelped and pulled back on his hand.

"Don't. Touch. Her." Zim spit, coldly.

"Okay! I'm sorry!" Skoodge stammered. Zim held him for a moment before softening. His face returned to the emotionless stare and he let Skoodge go. Skoodge scooted back and Zim looked back at Gaz for a moment before nodding.

"Okay." He said.

"Okay?" Skoodge's antennae pricked up as he rubbed his hand, he watched Zim brush a hair behind her ear and nodded again.

"I would like a blanket, Skoodge." Zim asked still staring at her.

"Okay. I'll go get one." Skoodge turned and ran back for the door. It slid open and he was immediately bombarded with questions on the situation.

"What happened?" Lard Nar asked.

"Zim needs a blanket."

Lard Nar stared for a moment before looking at the three headed alien who nodded and removed it's cape. Skoodge nodded his head and left with the cape. Zim hadn't moved from his spot.

"Hey, Zim." Skoodge sat beside him and held out the cape. "I got this."

"Lay it out."

Skoodge laid it flat out beside her.

"Go."

Skoodge nodded and left the room. Zim took a deep breath and went through her pockets, he retrieved her GameSlave, and a small, gray, oval rock speckled with white. His throat caught and he put them aside. He scooped Gaz into his arms and, gently, he placed her in the middle of the cape. It wouldn't cover her completely but it would work. He used the black stitch box to close the cape around her from the bottom up, with her feet out. When he reached her face he stopped to take one final look.

 _Goodbye._

He stitched the cape closed and lifted the body, holding it close as he made his way to the airlock.

He knew it wasn't right. She should be on Earth for something like this, but he wouldn't be able to perform anything for her with all of Earth watching for him. She didn't belong on Earth anyway, she herself had said her race was shameful and that she had never fit in. She wouldn't be happy there.

When he reached the door to the airlock system he opened it and set her down inside.

 _I'm sorry._

He couldn't look at her like that any longer, he wouldn't let this image of her be the only thing he could remember, he had to preserve her memory from before.

The amber eyed, purple haired, human he had come to love. _His_ human. He closed his eyes, thinking of her. He thought of her angry outbursts, or her rare, jovial laughter. He thought of the pain she could cause, and the loving embraces that would make it worth it. He thought of her threatening nature that he had come to admire, and the comforting peace he felt when he was with her. Like everything was right. Everything was _pleasant_. Not anymore, not ever again.

Zim turned around, his throat caught when he closed the door behind him and pressed the button. He heard a quiet _whoosh_ as the airlock opened and closed in an instant as he walked away.

 _I'm_ so _sorry._

Zim walked to the sliding doors where the crew were still straining to listen. The doors slid open and he stepped in. They all rushed to get out of his way as he walked through them with no emotion on his face.

"Zim?" Skoodge asked behind him but Zim kept walking. They didn't dare follow or say anything. He didn't stop until he entered his room. He closed the door behind him and breathed slow.

 _You_.

Zim closed his eyes and saw purple.

 _You killed her._

Zim screamed and threw himself at the wall, beating himself into it senselessly. He pounded his fists into the door, denting it as far as possible without breaking it off the hinges, ignoring the pain. He ran for the next wall, extending his PAK legs and slashed at it. Deep, severe, gashes were left in the metal as he roared like a mindless animal, tears running down his angry face.

" _Zim?"_

He slashed at the wall over and over before he slammed himself into another wall, he ran his claws into his own skin, tearing open his arms, allowing green blood to escape and flow. He howled, half in pain, and half in remorse and hatred for himself. He deserved it.

" _Yes?"_

Zim grabbed his antennae and yanked hard forward and back into the wall.

" _I love you."_

Zim launched himself forward into the next wall, driving his PAK legs and claws into it easily.

" _I love you too, Gaz-love."_

Zim raked his legs and claws down the wall, tearing it open as he knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face.

" _I love you too."_

"I'm sorry." He pounded a balled fist into the damaged wall and rested his forehead against it, shaking.

 _You._

"I'm sorry." He sobbed. Hitting the wall again, weaker this time.

 _You killed her._

* * *

 _Hey... so... you remember that thing I said a few weeks ago about not hating me? Yea... If you could just keep that in mind._

 _-Don't forget to review. Idakiller24_


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Skoodge sat at the door of Zim's room, quietly playing with his hands. It was easy to find as it was the only door that was so badly damaged in the whole ship. He sat there, patiently and nervously waiting for him to come out. He had heard a lot of screaming a day before, but now there was silence.

 _I hope he's okay._ Skoodge thought. All his life he has always known Zim to be one of the strongest, bravest soldiers in the Irken army. But yesterday, when Gaz died, he was someone else completely. Skoodge wanted to open the door to check on him but it seemed like the kind of thing you would have to leave him alone for. Still, Skoodge was worried, Zim may be strong, but it seems like he was put through a lot of trauma recently, possibly enough for his self destruct button to look quite friendly. Skoodge sat up off the floor when Captain Lard Nar approached with a concerned look.

"Has he come out yet?" Skoodge shook his head.

"No, he hasn't made a sound." Skoodge's antennae fell. Lard Nar frowned.

"I know his mate just died, but we need him right now. Can you try to talk some sense into him?"

"He's really upset. Can't we let him be until later?" Skoodge begged, Lard Nar shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but no."

Skoodge looked at the door and gulped. "Okay… give me a minute."

"Send him to the control room if you can coax him out." Lard Nar turned back around and left as Skoodge rose to his feet. He carefully opened the dented door and peered in, letting a thin light shine in. The dark room was in pieces, the walls were scarred, dented, and ripped open. Spots of green made Skoodge's spooch tighten. He saw Zim at the base of one of the damaged walls, he was on his knees, his head leaned against the wall with his eyes closed.

"Zim?" He asked, worried. "How are you doing?" Zim didn't respond.

Skoodge's antennae snapped up when he noticed Zim's arms were torn open.

"Your arms!" Skoodge flew into the room and took one of them. Zim snapped it away, with a sharp growl.

"Don't touch me!"

"What happened?" Skoodge asked, wide eyed. "Did… Did you-?"

"I'm _fine._ " Zim glanced at Skoodge and back down. He crossed his arms, trying to hide the scars.

"Okay." Skoodge allowed, still worried. He sat beside Zim and looked around the broken room, some of the walls were clawed open, assumingly by Zim's PAK, and his door was dented outward. He looked over Zim, one of his antennae was bent a weird way and he had slight bruising in the back of his head. He looked at his arms again. Green used to flow from them but by the looks of it, it had stopped a while ago. They had closed themselves up and scabbed over but they were still gnarly looking, and deep.

 _Zim's wouldn't really hurt himself. I just… didn't notice it before. He's not like that, he's too strong for that. Isn't he?_

"We should probably get you some bandages."

"Let them fester." Zim spit, not looking at him. Skoodge frowned. What could he say to Zim? He's never been in his place before, Skoodge never had a mate, and he never dared look for one. He knew the consequences. It was probably best he stay out of the gene pool anyway, Skoodge was lucky to grow the five or six inches out of smeethood, but he never grew after that. He's never lost anyone close to him. Zim was his only real friend in all of Irk, the only time he ever 'lost' him was when he was banished to Earth, and when he was going to be deactivated, but he wasn't. If he was lucky, Skoodge would never know how Zim felt.

He didn't know Gaz for very long, but in his short time with her he learned she was definitely feisty. He didn't get to see them interact properly, but he hoped Zim was happy with her while she was alive. Out of all the things Skoodge noticed about Zim's odd mate it was the weird stringy mass on her head that caught his attention, a possible clue why Zim chose her in the first place, as well as their similar personalities. After all, purple had always been Zim's favorite color. He sat beside him in silence before trying to speak.

"So… what are you going to do now?" Skoodge asked. Silence held the room, but after a moment Zim breathed deeply and straightened his back.

"We continue with the plan." He sat up off the floor and walked out the door at a faster pace than Skoodge could keep up with. He ran down the hallway after Zim.

"Uh, what plan?" Skoodge asked when he caught up.

"I'm going to kill the Tallests." Zim said with a growl in his voice. Skoodge stopped, wide eyed, for a second and ran back after Zim.

"K-kill the TALLESTS?" Skoodge stammered. "Zim you can't do that!"

"Watch me."

"But…" He stopped as Zim turned a quick corner. "Zim that's crazy! Why- I mean, I know why, but how are you-" Skoodge bounced after him as Zim took great strides, seeming to want to lose him. Zim walked through the door to the control room, still followed by a concerned Skoodge. Lard Nar and the rest of the crew were surrounding the control panel when they looked up in surprise as Zim entered.

"How far are we from the Massive?" Zim demanded.

"N-not far. We had to return to our course after… earlier." Lard Nar stammered.

"Fine." Zim cut. "Are we ready to breach? Weapons loaded? Ships fueled?"

"Yes. Everything is prepared."

"Good. We stick to the plan. Zim's Squad will take out the escape pods and we will corner them in the control room." The crew nodded in agreement, Zim glared at Lard Nar. "Do not forget our agreement, goat. The Tallests are _mine_."

"Yes, Zim. I remember." Lard Nar nodded obediently.

"Good." Zim turned to find Skoodge behind him again, looking up at him with pleading eyes. They shared a look before Zim walked around him to leave.

"Zim." Skoodge blurted out with all the courage he could muster. Zim continued walking, trying to ignore Skoodge's concern. "I know where your head is at, but…"

Zim still ignored him, Skoodge furrowed his brow and squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his fists.

"But it's not the Tallests' fault Gaz is dead!"

Zim stopped in his tracks in front of the door. Skoodge stood as tall as he could, standing by his words. Zim turned around slowly, with a threatening glare, daring him to speak another word. Skoodge pointed at the terrified audience.

"It was them! I saw it myself! They shot at us! Be mad at them! Kill them! They're the ones that kidnapped you anyway!" Skoodge shouted. The Resisty took a few steps back, exchanging worried whispers and looks. Zim eyed them for a second, then looked back at Skoodge.

"I helped her escape the Massive because you're my f-friend. But killing the Tallests is going too far!" Skoodge stammered, shaking his head. Zim began to walk toward him, slowly. "I-I'm s-sworn by the will of the Control Brains to p-protect my Tallests."

Zim stopped in front of Skoodge, who stared up at him with his chest out, looking as proud as he was scared. He'd already crossed the line with Zim. But he had a duty to his Empire.

"You think you are anything to them?" Zim asked slowly. Skoodge took a deep breath, maintaining his composer. "You were the first to conquer your planet, and what did they do to reward you?"

Skoodge's antennae twitched. It was true, the Tallests launched him into his own planet before giving his honor and title to another invader. The Tallests were cruel to Skoodge, but not enough to be killed. They were his leaders after all. Zim stooped down, face to face with Skoodge.

"The Tallests took everything from me, Skoodge. Do you understand that? All my life, since I was a _smeet,_ I've been their joke. They sent me to die in space despite my undying loyalty, my devotion, my _trust_." As Zim spit his cold words, Skoodge's antennae slowly fell. "Yes, Skoodge. They were not the ones to take my mate from me. But they will pay for their actions nonetheless. And when I kill them, I will be next in line. Now ask yourself, Skoodge, where do your loyalties lie?"

Skoodge gulped. Zim was serious. Very serious. As his words cut into Skoodge, Zim stood tall again and eyed the cowering crew.

"Inform me when we arrive." He said simply before turning and leaving again. Skoodge, too scared to move, only watched as he left. Zim walked down the hall with a vacant stare, he looked down at his arms and hissed when he flexed his hands. They still hurt, but it was well deserved and he welcomed the pain. Zim turned a corner and stopped in his tracks, GIR was sitting in the middle of the hallway playing with his feet and humming a tuneless melody while Mini-moose sat on his head. GIR had some scorch marks on his head as well, but no obvious, permanent damage. GIR looked up from his important task and stuck his tongue out in a friendly greeting.

"HI!" He squeaked.

Zim's antennae twitched, but he approached GIR quietly.

"Hello, GIR."

GIR's eyes suddenly turned red, snapping his arm up in a salute.

"Master, you're injured."

Zim avoided his eyes and hid his arms.

"I'll be alright, GIR." He dismissed. GIR's eyes returned to their docile cyan color and continued to play with his feet, humming his song again. Zim looked down at GIR and watched him.

 _It's not stupid. It's advanced._ Zim remembered bitterly. GIR was yet another joke on his name. The little robot was a great inconvenience, he had caused him much pain and disruption. He was terrible, he even tried to purposely kill Zim on one occasion. Zim had half a mind to just disassemble the nuisance and be done with the headache. The other half of his mind had grown attached to GIR, him being entirely loyal if not incompetent. GIR was his last shred of normality, the only piece of his life that remained untouched. Aside from Mini-moose who was far more deserving of the henchman role, GIR was, begrudgingly, his only companion.

Zim sat beside GIR and placed a hand on his head affectionately. The way he used to with…

"Masta?" GIR cooed.

"Yes?"

"Where's Gazzy?"

Zim's throat caught.

"Gazzy said she'd make me fly! But we were already flying!" GIR opened his arms and clicked his feet on the floor, beaming. "I wanna make Gazzy my cakes! Where's Gazzy, Masta? Huh? Huh?"

Zim slowly turned his head to look down at him with a bitter, sullen glare.

"Gaz is…" He started. "She's not here. She's… She'll be back later."

"Ima make her my cakes, then she'll make me fly again!"

"GIR…" Zim winced. "Gaz does not eat dirt." He reminded calmly. GIR looked up at Zim again, wide-eyed.

"Ooooohhhh…" Zim closed his eyes, fighting tears. Remembering the last time he had this conversation. Back before this all happened, back when everything was normal.

"Nyah?" Mini-moose questioned.

"She's not here." Zim repeated.

"Nyah?"

"Because she isn't."

"Nyah?"

"Because!" He shouted, losing his temper, and weighed with his guilt. "Gaz is-" Zim choked on his words, not wanting to believe them himself. "She's dead."

GIR's head popped up and eyed Zim who watched him warily, with the guilt hanging over his head. GIR stared for eons before tilting his head to the side.

"You sad?" Zim looked away not able to handle the innocence in GIR's questioning eyes.

"Yes." He nodded. GIR looked down at his feet again.

"Mary gon' be sad too."

Zim looked back at GIR with a raised antenna.

"Mary?" Zim asked.

"Mary big-head!" GIR opened his arms, showing just how big 'Mary's' head was. "He gon' be real sad! Mmmmhhmmm!"

Zim's spooch tightened.

 _Dib…_

"ZIM!" Zim jumped out of his skin, the foreign voice disguising as Dib's through his intense thought. "ZIM!"

Zim stood up off the wall as Lard Nar came around the corner, obviously anxious. "We approaching the Massive."

Zim stared at the Vortian before looking down at Mini-moose.

"Keep GIR safe."

"Nyah!"

Zim turned and brushed past Lard Nar and headed for the control room.

* * *

 _And the emotional trauma continues. Poor Zim indeed... It seems everything is falling apart for our little hero, but will taking his anger out on the Tallests be the medicine he needs? Will revenge be worth it? I don't know, I haven't finished that chapter yet..._

 _Don't forget to review!_


	17. Chapter 16

_Sorry this chapter was late, This was really difficult to write. Not just for the emotional part, but in general. The words really did not want to flow, I had to revise it a half dozen times. I have a feeling the next chapter will be the same way. Just a warning, chapter 17 will probably be late too. Hope you all had a nice Christmas, and a happy new year! Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

"Zim, please!" Skoodge begged, Zim turned a glare on his little follower.

"Go away, Skoodge." He demanded still walking to the control room.

"Zim you can't do this. You'll- I mean. You can't KILL the Tallests!" He begged, persistently following at his heel. Zim tried to ignore Skoodge as he stepped through the doors to the control room.

"Zim's squad! To your pods!" Zim ordered, the crew snapped their attention to Zim before his pilots scrambled to the door leading to the escape pods. Zim raised his eyes out the window where he saw the Massive, slowly getting closer.

Once the sight of the great Irken ship had filled him with pride. Pride for his empire, pride for his race, pride for himself. Now it only filled him with an intense, gnawing hatred. When he became Tallest, he would build a better vessel, one much larger.

"Steer toward the hole." Zim snapped at Spleenk, who manned the controls. Spleenk, clearly panicked, nodded and turned away from the front of the Massive, guiding the ship toward the hole in the side of the ship. Zim squinted as it got bigger, just as predicted, there were drones hovering in space suits swarming the hole. It had gotten smaller since their last visit, but big enough for them to break through again. It having to be repaired quickly, the craftsmanship was shoddy and rushed. Zim glanced to the side of their window as the Vortian pods buzzed out the side of the ship and headed for the Massive.

"We need to let them take out the escape pods before we make contact." Zim turned to Lard Nar who stood quietly with wide-eyed dread, Skoodge looked from Zim to Lard Nar. "When we break through, flood the halls. Trap them in the control room. I'll take care of the rest." Zim began walking down the levels toward the door to the escape pods.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND ZIM!" Skoodge shouted, Zim stopped. "WHY AREN'T YOU MAD AT THEM?"

Zim shook his head and growled to himself as Skoodge approached again.

"They. Killed. Gaz! Did that just _not happen_?" Zim's hands clenched into fists as Skoodge stopped just behind him. "Why do you want to _work with them_ to kill our _leaders_?"

"Shut your mouth." Zim growled. Skoodge flattened his antennae and shouted up at Zim.

"ARE YOU _THAT_ DEFECTIVE THAT YOU DON'T SEE-"

 _SMACK_

Skoodge slid across the floor and Zim stomped over, shaking with rage and glowering at the little Irken. He stood over him as Skoodge scrambled to get up.

"It should have been you _._ " Zim hissed, Skoodge stared, frozen on the floor. Zim's glare darkened. " _I_ was in that pod. _I_ fired the shot. _I_ killed her. But it should have been _you_!" Zim hung over Skoodge threatening another hit when he bolted up and scrambled away out the door. Zim snapped his attention to the gawkers.

"READY YOUR GUNS!" He bellowed, the crew jumped and ran around the room for their weapons. Zim turned back toward the door to the escape pods. He climbed into the last one and flipped the switch for the wall to open into space. Zim's pod popped off the wall and floated out toward the Massive. He could see the few pods buzzing around the sides of the Massive, and blue flashes of the lasers firing at what he hoped were the Massive's escape pods. Zim accelerated his ship to aid when he saw Irken Voots begin to pour from the Massive, aimed for the Vortian ships.

Zim spun the controls to dodge as one headed for him, firing red sparks at him. Zim returned fire and the Voot exploded on contact with his lasers, he flinched. Dodging and weaving through the approaching dog fight, he zapped oncoming enemies with precise focus.

 _I'm coming._ Zim thought darkly. He saw small eruptions on the sides of the Massive as his squad took out pod after pod. Zim joined their fight and blew up a few as well, firing his laser in a straight line along the Massive. He spun his ship around to see the Vortian mothership approaching quickly. He headed for the hole in the side of the Massive, dodging bright red lasers of pods and drones trying to protect their opening. Zim flew into the hole and smashed into the wall on the other side.

He was in.

Zim leapt out of his windshield and began running straightmfor the door. The artificial atmosphere in the room was weak and his PAK's space suit activated, encasing his head in a pink bubble. He tore through the room remembering, with bitter remorse, his last time here. Irken drones attacked him with guns and extended legs. Zim snarled and opened his own PAK, swiping at fellow soldiers, taking out guns, limbs, eyes, even PAKs as he pushed for the door.

Green spattered around him, he ignored screams, ignored pleas, ignored his own injuries as he attacked mercilessly, finally reaching the door. He felt the entire ship quake and he lost his balance, falling to his knees. They made contact, he heard the familiar call of the Resisty's battle cries.

"DOWN WITH THE TALLESTS!" They too began to pour from the door, Zim launched back up on his feet and continued down the hallway as the Resisty followed, giving him cover fire. He skittered down the hallway, his PAK's legs tapping and scraping along the walls as they came to a fork.

"Go left!" He called back over the sirens that echoed through the ship. "If we missed pods we have to cut them off!" Zim snapped right, half of the crew stayed at his back, while half ran to the left. Five drones blocked the hallway and fired at them. Zim, taking no heed to the safety of his squad, jumped up and began scaling the ceiling. He heard pained cries behind him as he jumped down from the ceiling, landing his legs into two soldiers, and using the lifeless drones to smack the surviving into the wall, letting him pass. Zim grabbed a spare gun from the floor and held it close, firing at drones who dared stand in his way. He heard his crew's cries getting further and further away.

Zim rounded the corner and locked onto another drone, her gun trembled in her hands as he approached from down the hall and her eyes shifted from focus to worry. When he raised his gun she dropped hers, she stared out at him with wide, terrified, _purple_ eyes.

Her face flickered for a moment, and Zim skid to a stop, his gun about slipped from his hand. He took a step back and dropped his head in his hands, clenching his eyes. He shook his head and roared in angered frustration and shot up after the drone again but dodged her and turned the corner.

 _It was nothing. There was nothing there._ Zim thought as he ran, raising his gun to fire at panicked drones again.

Finally he could see it. The door to the control room. Zim growled to himself as he ran a little faster, quickly closing the distance. Two guards manned the door, Zim shot the first one and grabbed for the second one. He held the little drone by the back of the neck and slammed him into the keypad for the door. The drone whimpered as he obediently entered the code. The door slid open with a successful 'ding' and Zim threw the petrified drone away. He scanned the room as he stepped in.

There they were.

Tallest Purple was hovering over the security drones as they rambled about the situation, Tallest Red was still in his seat. Both of them turned to the door when Zim entered, their faces twisted from confusion to anger.

"Zim?" Purple yelled. "You're behind this?"

Zim didn't answer, only shot glares between them, frozen in the doorway.

"Would you tell you little Vortian captain to stop crashing your ship into the Massive?" Purple turned on him as the security drones backed away. "Do you know how long it's going to take to fix that again?"

Zim took a step forward, allowing the door's sensors to lose him and close the door behind him. He raised his gun and fired at the keypad on this side of the door. The keypad flickered with electricity and buzzed out. Both Tallests were expressionless.

"Wha- Why?" Purple's eye twitched, now thoroughly annoyed.

"You crazy, little _defective_." Red snapped, rising from his seat. Zim fixed his scowl on him. "Do you have _brain worms_?"

Zim didn't say anything, only glared with twitching antennae. Red's scowl darkened. "What's the matter with you? Say something!"

Zim remained silent. There was nothing to be said. No words that could convey his anger. No boastful speech that would properly portray his betrayal, his hatred, his blame. Only actions. Violent, merciless actions. Red turned away from Zim, waving a hand at the guard drones.

"Get him out of my sight." He hissed. Two guards moved to subdue Zim. Two guards fell to the floor with laser marks on their foreheads. Purple's antennae dropped while Red turned around slowly.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" He spit. Zim flicked his hateful eyes on either of his targets. Both were protected by about the same number of guards, now pointing their guns on him. He dropped his own, he didn't need a gun for this. Zim's hands curled into fists and his antennae flattened. Purple was closest.

Zim launched forward, activating his little bubble shield just in time for Purple's guards to fire at him. Purple yelped as Zim reached for him, but several of Purple's guards dove for Zim, knocking him to the ground and rolling around with him on the floor.

"What on IRK-" Red yelled.

"My Tallests, this way please." Zim heard a drone interrupt as he fought to break free of the drones he wrestled with. He saw them being herded away by drones straight for the door. He opened his PAK and began slashing at his attackers. He cut down a few, but the surviving opened theirs as well. Zim broke away and began to freely attack the persistent drones.

"What do you mean 'it _won't open'_?" Purple demanded behind him.

The guard drone's numbers were dwindling. Zim was in a trance of anger and focus, swiping and slashing, slowly getting closer to his cowering leaders, protected by more drones that frantically tried to get the door open.

" _My Tallests."_ Zim cooed when the last guard fell. Purple turned, wide-eyed.

"Get it open!" Red yelled at the panicking drones. One of the drones opened their PAK to pry the door open manually. Two other guards aided, opening a hole big enough for the Tallests to crawl through. Service drones dragged the Tallests out and ran with them down the hallway. Zim followed, grabbing his gun on the way out. Zim aimed for the drones behind the Tallests, slowly picking them off as the group escaped. Red was being yanked up toward the front, but as Purple's service drones fell, he lagged behind. Zim moved faster, desperate to catch up. He used his PAK legs to launch himself off the walls and dove for Purple again.

Zim swiped a leg into the hover module on Purple's PAK, he yelped and crashed into the floor. The fleeing group did not slow for him, only continued dragging Red away. He scrambled to get up before Zim stabbed two legs in front of his face, Purple froze when Zim poked a third leg at the base of his neck.

Zim looked up at Red who had turned around for a moment to watch in horror.

"Red?" Purple asked in a weak, confused voice, still frozen. Red backed away and turned to run down the hallway with the other guards. Zim smirked and shoved his leg through. Tallest Purple collapsed in a thump on the floor when Zim pulled his leg out, he followed down the hallway. He could hear Red's guards squabbling over themselves.

"What about Purple?"

"We only need one Tallest! Get Red to the Voot docks!"

A few drones broke from the party to fire at Zim, they only stalled him for a few moments before Zim continued his pursuit. Red's drones picked themselves off, martyring themselves to at least slow Zim down so Red could escape as they neared the port. He only had one left when they finally reached the docking port. The drone shoved Red through the door and smashed the control panel when the doors closed. The little drone turned to meet his fate when the doors locked and Zim caught up. Zim roared in frustration as he knocked the drone into the wall, he slammed his fists into the locked door and began prying it open with his PAK legs. He would _not_ let him escape. Zim frantically pulled open a small hole in the door and wedged himself through, Red was staring at Zim with wide eyes. Zim rose off the floor and curled his fists, Red took a few steps back when their eyes met.

"N-now, Zim. Don't do anything rash!" Red stammered as Zim took slow steps toward him. They were alone in the port, Red was all his, no obstructions, no obstacles. Nothing to stop him. "You want to be an invader? I'll make you an invader!"

Zim smirked, as if that would be enough, as if that was all he wanted anymore, as if that was all they had taken from him. He stretched his PAK legs in preparation and quickened his pace.

"I'M STILL YOUR TALLEST!" Red shouted, getting desperate. "You wouldn't _dare!"_

When Zim didn't slow Red's antennae fell, he _would_ dare.

Red turned on a heel, making a short dash for a nearby Voot when Zim attacked. He hooked two of his PAK legs around one of Red's ankles, tripping him up and yanking him back. Red tore off the ground, trying to get away, when Zim stabbed a leg into one of Red's organic legs, pinning him where he was. Tallest Red shrieked so loud Zim's antennae shook, but he dragged Red back as he desperately clawed the ground. Zim's antennae hummed with anticipation when he hung over his flailing leader. He stabbed his other legs around him, containing Red in a cage.

Red flipped around and lashed out, slashing Zim's cheek. Zim snarled, grabbed Red's antennae, and smashed his head into the floor, earning another antennae-rattling cry of pain. When Red lashed out again Zim used two PAK legs to stab straight through either of Red's palms, pinning him. Zim struggled to stay on top of him as Red flailed and screamed, thrashing his body around in a feeble attempt to escape.

Zim released his antennae and closed his hands around Red's neck, his screams were silenced as he choked back, struggling to breathe. Drops of green fell onto Red's face from the slice in Zim's cheek. Red continued to thrash and Zim smashed him against the floor again, growling and tightening his grip with a malicious hate burning in his eyes. His antennae fell forward aggressively as he strangled his Tallest. Red's face began to darken green, his eyes fading from pure hate, to a pleading fear as he fought for breath, he bucked Zim again but remained pinned. Zim felt a small weight fall from his pocket, he flicked his eyes down to see he had dropped his little gray rock. He loosened his grip on Red, who thrashed again and knocked the rock away sending it sliding to the edge of the port.

"NO!" Zim tossed Red to the side and dove for the rock, barely missing it as it skittered away. He heard Red gasp and cough behind him as he scrambled up and chased after the rock, which flew off the edge of the port, falling for a second before floating away. Without hesitation, Zim dove for it again. He felt the artificial atmosphere pass through him and was met with a crushing, bitter, cold as he reached for the stone. His PAK's space suit activated, so he could breathe, but he still drifted agonizingly slow, desperately grasping for the stone. Finally he reached it and snapped it close to his body, breathing heavily.

 _Safe_. He thought. _It's safe._

Zim looked back at the port as he gently floated away, slowly spinning upside down. Red was in a Voot and just taking off when he looked back. The Voot launched forward, aimed straight for Zim. Zim tensed just before Red hit him full on with the Voot, knocking him further away from the safety of the Massive. He heard a crunch, whether it came from him or Red's windshield, he didn't know. His vision blurred for a moment as he rolled off the Voot and was sent spinning again. He blinked and flailed his limbs to stop spinning and gain control as he continued floating away. He looked around, bracing for another attack, but didn't see the Voot, it seemed Red was not going to hit him again.

He looked back at the distancing Massive, he was nowhere near the port and had nothing to get him any closer. He could see the Vortian mothership was no longer wedged into the Massive, it was retreating in the other direction. There was no way they'd be able to see Zim from where he was. He looked around into empty space, and down at the stone he cradled. He rubbed his thumb over the surface and stared at it.

 _If I die out here… at least…_

Zim squeezed his eyes shut and held the rock closer.

 _No words can explain the way I'm missing you._

 _Deny this emptiness, this hole that I'm inside._

 _These tears…_

Zim shook his head, denying the tears running down his face and tried to compose himself. She wouldn't want him to cry.

 _Told me not to cry when you are gone._

 _But the feeling's overwhelming, it's much too strong._

He clenched the rock in his hand, still gently floating through space. It was all his fault. Everything that's happened was all his fault. Now he had nothing and he was going to die alone in space. He couldn't even take comfort in knowing where she was. He knew these would be his last moments and she could be eons away for all he knew.

 _If she was here…_

 _Can I lay by your side?_

 _Next to you?_

 _To you…_

Zim shivered. If he had a second chance. If he could only turn back time. If he wasn't such a fool, she'd still be alive.

 _I'm sorry._ He thought. _I'm so sorry._

 _It's all my fault._

 _I don't want to be here if I can't be with you._

This pain. This agonizing weight in his chest. This grief, he had never felt anything so terrible in his life. The guilt, the sadness, the loneliness. This unending hurt felt like he was being ripped apart from the inside out.

 _This hurt that I've been through._

 _I'm missing you, I'm missing you like crazy._

He would give anything, do anything, if only, even for a moment, he could have her back. To have her close again.

 _Can I lay by your side?_

 _Next to you?_

 _To you..._

He shook his head and rubbed his aching arms. Their dull pain kept him grounded, and brought him back from the pain his own mind brought him to. He opened blurry eyes to see the endless mass of stars before him,. He had floated far from the Massive, it was no bigger than his hand now and still he drifted.

 _How long will it take for me to die?_ He thought sullenly. His suit wouldn't be able to take the pressure forever, and eventually he'd run out of air. The cold was seeping its way into his skin and he began to shiver. He let his eyes fall as if death was seconds away and held his stone close.

 _Just let it happen. I want her back._

 _Lay me down, tonight._

 _Lay me by your side._

 _Can I lay by your side?_

 _Next to you?_

 _Let me die._

Zim floated weightless, drifting limp, holding his stone. His breathing slowly grew more and more shallow as he used up his oxygen. His PAK was sending him signals to thrash, to fight, to survive. Zim ignored them all and continued floating adrift, succumbing to the empty, his PAK was defective anyway. A faint light glowed in the edge of his vision, slowly getting brighter, closer. He cracked his eyes open to see an Irken Voot heading straight for him. It must be Red, coming to finish the job. Zim didn't move.

 _Let him come._

He let his eyes close again, as the light grew he unconsciously tensed, waiting for the pain. When it didn't come he opened his eyes again. The Voot was closer than he thought and he flinched back. Just as it was going to hit, the windshield opened and scooped him out of space. He landed in the passenger seat with a thud. His space suit deactivated and he took several heavy breaths, not realizing how much oxygen he wasn't using. He scrambled right side up in the seat, ready to defend himself, and looked at the pilot.

Skoodge didn't look at Zim when he turned the ship's controls back toward the Massive. Zim couldn't speak, only breathed heavily, staring at Skoodge who had an expressionless scowl on his face.

"Are you alright?" Skoodge finally broke the silence. Zim blinked. The chill of space had left his body, he could breathe, he wasn't terribly injured from the fight, or the crash into Red's Voot.

 _I'm still alive._ He thought bitterly.

Skoodge flicked his gaze to Zim who nodded, slowly settling in his seat. Skoodge stared back out the windshield, his unease was written all over his face.

"Did you…"

Zim frowned, "Purple is dead. Red escaped."

Skoodge took a heavy breath, his antennae fell.

"You shouldn't have come." Zim spoke slowly, turning away from his rescuer.

Skoodge breathed again, gripping the controls. "I had to."

"No you didn't." Zim hissed. "I wanted to…"

"You're not thinking straight, Zim." Skoodge said, trying to calm him down. "She wouldn't want you to-"

" _Don't_ tell me what she would have wanted." Zim snapped, turning to glare at Skoodge, who flinched. Skoodge remained silent and Zim turned back to stare out of the windshield. A heavy gloom hung over the pair. Zim would flick his eyes on Skoodge every once in a while as they sped past the Massive. He glared with envy, it raked on his nerve that Skoodge had remained uninjured in the incident. The few cuts and burns he suffered were already healed, like it never even happened. Why did he get to walk away, unscathed, when she… He turned his glare away.

"Zim… I'm sorry." Skoodge began. Zim turned his glare back. "I didn't know you… I mean. When I said..." He tapped his fingers on the controls, trying to find the words.

"I didn't know it was you." He looked over at Zim. "What... what happened?"

Zim looked down and turned his stone over in his hands. He shook his head.

"I saw an Irken Voot. Nothing more." Zim turned away. Skoodge looked back out and sighed.

"I didn't mean what I said." Skoodge spoke again. "If I knew, I wouldn't have-"

"Don't, Skoodge." Zim whispered. "Just... don't."

Skoodge shut his mouth and stagnant silence hung over them again. Zim closed his eyes, and rested his head on the cool windshield with his arms crossed. Skoodge didn't speak as they headed for the Vortian mothership, which was still retreating. Zim's antennae twitched, Skoodge was becoming a detriment. The little Irken had stood in the way far too often, his outbursts had made him intolerable at the very least, and his forced assistance only made him more of a nuisance. He thinks he's trying to help, but everything he did only made the situation worse. Rescuing Zim was only another setback, and bringing Gaz from the Massive in the first place only sealed her fate, Zim's antennae flicked. He cast Skoodge a quick scowl and Skoodge snapped his attention back out the window, Zim's scowl darkened. The little _worm_ even had the nerve to speak as if he knew her, telling Zim what she would want.

Zim sighed and looked back out the window. As much as he didn't like it, Skoodge was right. If Gaz was here, she would have beaten him to a pulp for giving up so easily. Come to think of it, if she knew he was the one who shot her she would have killed him herself. Zim smirked and closed his eyes as they approached the Vortian ship.

* * *

 _You could probably guess but the song was Lay Me Down by Sam Smith. I thought it fit very well with the scene and I just wanted to curl up and cry when I noticed the correlation the first time. Anyway, Oh no! Purple is dead! Skoodge saved Zim! So much drama! I hope you guys are enjoying this despite the turn. Don't forget to review!_


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